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THE NILE TRIBUTARIES 


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ANI) THE 


SWORD HUNTERS OF THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



SIR SAMUEL W: BAKER, M.A. F.R.G.S. 

»/ 


GOLD MEDALLIST OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY; 

GRANDE MEDAILLE D’OR DE LA SOCIETY DE GEOGRAPHIE DE PARIS ; 
AUTHOR OF THE “ALBERT N’YANZA GREAT BASIN OF THE NILE,” “EIGHT YEARS’ 
WANDERINGS IN CEYLON,” “ THE RIFLE AND THE HOUND IN CEYLON,” 

ETC. ETC. 




,T. B. LIPPING 0 T T & C 0. 


MACMILLAN AND CO. 



(The Right of Translation is reserved .) 






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I DEDICATE THIS BOOK, 

WITH SPECIAL PERMISSION, 

pis licnml Piglmess Albert (SEbtoarir, 
PRINCE OF WALES, 

AS THE FIRST OF 

ENGLAND’S ROYAL RACE 

WHO HAS SAILED UPON THE WATERS OF 

THE NILE; 

THE LAKE SOURCES OF WHICH MIGHTY RIVER ARE HONOURED 

BY THE NAMES OF 

HIS AUGUST PARENTS. 


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PREFACE. 


The work entitled “ The Albert N’yanza Great Basin 
of the Nile/' published in 1866 , has given an account 
of the equatorial lake system, from which the Egyptian 
river derives its source. It has been determined by 
the joint explorations of Speke, Grant, and myself, 
that the rainfall of the equatorial districts supplies 
two vast lakes, the Victoria and the Albert, of suffi¬ 
cient volume to support the Nile throughout its entire 
course of thirty degrees of latitude. Thus the parent 
stream, fed by never-failing reservoirs, supplied by the 
ten months’ rainfall of the equator, rolls steadily on its 
way through arid sands and burning deserts until it 
reaches the Delta of Lower Egypt. 


PREFACE. 


viii 

It would at first sight appear that, the discovery of 
the lake sources of the Nile had completely solved the 
mystery of ages, and that the fertility of Egypt de¬ 
pended upon the rainfall of the equator concentrated 
in the lakes Victoria and Albert; but the exploration 
of the Nile tributaries of Abyssinia divides the Nile 
system into two proportions, and unravels the entire 
mystery of the river, by assigning to each its due share 
in ministering to the prosperity of Egypt. 

The lake-sources of Central Africa support the life 
of Egypt, by supplying a stream, throughout all 
seasons, that has sufficient volume to support the 
exhaustion of evaporation and absorption ; but this 
stream, if unaided, could never overflow its banks, and 
Egypt, thus deprived of the annual inundation, would 
simply exist, and cultivation would be confined to the 
close vicinity of the river. 

The inundation, which by its annual deposit of mud 
has actually created the Delta of Lower Egypt, upon 
the overflow of which the fertility of Egypt depends, 
has an origin entirely separate from the lake-sources of 
Central Africa, and the supply of water is derived 
exclusively from Abyssinia. 


PREFACE. 


IX 


The two grand affluents of Abyssinia are, the Blue 
Nile and the Atbara, which join the main stream 
respectively in N. lat. 15° 30' and 17° 37'. These rivers, 
although streams of extreme grandeur during the 
period of the Abyssinian rains, from the middle of 
June until September, are reduced during the dry 
months to utter insignificance; the Blue Nile be¬ 
coming so shallow as to be unnavigable, and the 
Atbara perfectly dry. At that time, the water supply 
of Abyssinia having ceased, Egypt depends solely upon 
the equatorial lakes, and the affluents of the White 
Nile, until the rainy season shall again have flooded 
the two great Abyssinian arteries. That flood occurs 
suddenly about the 20th June, and the grand rush of 
water pouring down the Blue Nile and the Atbara 
into the parent channel, inundates Lower Egypt, 
and is the cause of its extreme fertility. 

Not only is the inundation the effect of the Abys¬ 
sinian rains, but the deposit of mud that has formed 
the Delta, and which is annually precipitated by the 
rising waters, is also due to the Abyssinian streams, 
more especially to the river Atbara, which, known as 
the Bahr el Aswat (Black Biver) carries a larger pro- 


PREFACE. 


portion of soil than any other tributary of the Nile; 
therefore, to the Atbara, above all other rivers, must 
the wealth and fertility of Egypt be attributed. 

It may thus be stated : The equatorial lakes feed 
Egypt; but the Abyssinian rivers cause the inun¬ 
dation. 

This being a concise summary of the Nile system, 
I shall describe twelve months’ exploration, during 
which I examined every individual river that is tribu¬ 
tary to the Nile from Abyssinia, including the Atbara, 
Settite, Royan, Salaam, Angrab, Rahad, Dinder, and 
the Blue Nile. The interest attached to these portions 
of Africa differs entirely from that of the White Nile 
regions, as the whole of Upper Egypt and Abyssinia is 
capable of development, and is inhabited by races 
either Mohammedan or Christian ; while Central Africa 
is peopled by a hopeless race of savages, for whom 
there is no prospect of civilization. 

The exploration of the Nile tributaries of Abyssinia 
occupied the first twelve months of my journey 
towards the Nile sources. During this time, I had the 
opportunity of learning Arabic and of studying the 
character of the people ; both necessary acquirements. 


PREFACE. 


xi 


which led to my ultimate success in reaching the 
“ Albert N’yanza. ” As the readers of the work of 
that title are aware, I was accompanied throughout 
the entire journey by my wife, who, with extraordinary 
hardihood and devotion, shared every difficulty with 
which African travel is beset. 
































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CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER I.' 

ABOVE THE CATARACT. 

Sterility—Arrival at Korosko—Twenty-six Days from Cairo—The 
Nubian Desert—Nature’s Pyramids—Volcanic Bombs—The 
Stony Sea—The Camel’s Grave—The Crows of Moorahd—A 
Delicious Draught—Bocks of the Desert—The perished Begi- 
ment—Arrival at the Nile—Distance from Korosko—Gazelles 
of the Desert—Dryness of the Atmosphere—Arrival at Berber— 
Halleem Effendi’s Garden—Halleem gives Advice—The Nile 
rising—Visit of the Ladies—The Pillars of Sand—The Gover¬ 
nor’s Friendship—Save me from my Friends . . Page 1—25. 


CHAPTEB II. 

The Cairo Dragoman Mahomet—Mahomet forsakes his Pistols— 
The Boute to the Atbara—The Dry Bed of the Biver—The 
Dome Palm—Preparation of the Fruit—Pools of the Atbara— 
Collection of Birds—Charms of the Desert—Suffering of Men 
and Beasts—Collodabad—Hippopotamus kills the Arab—Daring 
Feat of the Fish-Eagle—Hippopotamus-shooting—Hippopotami 
bagged—Delight of the Arabs—Fishing—Catch a Tartar—Lose 
my Turtle Soup—Gazelle Shooting—The Speed of the Gazelle 
—Preparation of Water-skins—Tanning the Hides—Shoot a 
Crocodile—The Biver comes down—The mighty Stream of the 
Atbara—Change in the Season. Page 26—54. 



XIV 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER IIL 

WILD ASSES OF THE DESERT. 

My First and Last—Appetite for raw Meat—The Bishareen Arabs— 
Gozerajnp—The First Rain—Limits of the Desert—The Haden- 
dowa Arabs—The Wells of Soojalup—Antelopes—Capabilities 
for Cotton Cultivation—Arab Migrations—The Arab’s Prayer 
—The Barren Women—Difficulty in fording the River Gash— 
Arrive at Cassala—Hospitality of the Greek Merchant. 

Page 55—71. 


CHAPTER IY. 

ROUTE FROM CASSALA TO SOUAKIM. 

Facilities of the Port of Souakim—Fortifications of Cassala—Con¬ 
quest of Nubia—Cruel Taxation—Extreme Cheapness of Com 
—Cultivation of Cereals—Arab Bread—Military Position of 
Cassala—The Base—Prepare to start from Cassala—Mahomet’s 
Family Tree—Mahomet meets Relations—We cross the Gash 
—Stalking the Ariel—Bagged the Game—Descent of Vultures 
—Change of Scenery—The Source of the Delta—The Parent of 
Egypt. Page 72—91 


CHAPTER Y. 

THE STORM. 

Cotton Farm of Malem Georgis—Ferocious Crocodiles—Shoot a 
Monster—The Public Enemy—Resistance of a Crocodile’s Scales 
—Discover Gold—HeavyAction of the Camel—El Baggar selects 
a Hygeen—The Easy^goer, suitable for a Lady—Hooked Thorns 
of the Mimosa—We charge a Kittar Bush—The Scorpion’s 
Sting—Sudden Deluge—A Regiment of Scorpions—Valley of 
the Atbara—The Migration of Camels—A Milk Diet—The Arab 
Exodus—The Desert Patriarch. Page 92—111. 



CONTENTS. 


xv 


CHAPTER VI. 

SHEIK ACHMET ABOU SINN. 

The Arab Welcome—Abou Sinn’s Advice—Arab Tribes of Nubia— 
A Hint to Octogenarians—The Arab Pomade—The Arab Lady’s 
Perfumery—The Fatal Mixture—The Coiffure of the World— 
The Arab Woman’s Head-dress—“ The Dust became Lice through 
all Egypt”—The Arab Charms—The Rahat or Arab Kilt— 
Arab Weddings—No Divorce Court—Anointing with Oil—- 
Nomadic Habits of the Arabs—Unchanging Customs of the 
Arabs—The Hand of God—Religion of the Arabs. 

Page 112—13L 


CHAPTER VII. 

THE DEPARTURE. 

Eirst-class Hygeens—Travelling Arrangements—The Evening Bi¬ 
vouac—The Junction of the Settite River—Sheik Atalan 
Wat Said—Abyssinian Frontier—Ismael Pasha burnt alive— 
Mek Nimmur—The Enemy of Egypt—Arrival at Sofi—The 
Reception—Position of Soft—Florian, the German Settler— 
The Cattle Ely—Peculiarities of the Seasons—The New Camp 
—I become a Householder—Arrangement of our Establish¬ 
ment—My “Baby”—An African Elysium—No Pipe!—The 
Elements at Work. Page 132—154. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT. 

Go into Half Mourning—“ Child of the Fever ”—The Arab M.D.— 
Arab Fondness for Relics—The Pest Spots of the World—The 
Dangers of Holy Shrines—Arrival of the Holy Body—The 
Faky’s Grave—Arab Doctoring—Delights of Arab Surgery— 



XVI 


CONTENTS. 


The Pig and the Koran—Sword Hunters of the Hamran 
Arabs—The Arab Shields—Hints for carrying the Sword— 
Keenness of the Edge—Arab Swordsmanship—The Aggageers 
—Elephant-hunting with the Sword—Disabled by his own 
Sword—Maria Theresa—Great Failure—The Baboons and 
the Crocodile—The drowned Elephant—Game on the East 
Bank—Capabilities of the Soil—Tanning of Leather—Native 
Baskets and Matting—Bacheet is too attentive—“Oh Bacheet! 
You Ignoramus ! ”—Ferocity of the Seroot Fly—Cross the 
Atbara—The Impromptu Baft — Stalking Giraffes—Within 
Bange—The First Bush of the Herd—The Betreat of the 
Giraffes—Death of the Giraffes—Passage of the Biver—The 
Giraffe Sentry—A Difficult Stalk—The Seroot Fly takes 
Possession—Giraffe Steaks—A Hunt for the Tetel—Floating 
Meat across a Biver—Buoy for Men and Cargo—Scare the 
Crocodiles—The Lions devour the Giraffe—Arab Music— 
Arrange to cross the Biver. Page 155—204. 

CHAPTEB IX. 

FORM A RAFT WITH THE SPONGING BATH. 

The Impromptu Ferry—Achmet is tempted by Satan—Mahomet’s 
Belative absconds—End of the Bainy Season—The Seroot Fly 
disappears—The “Till” — Preparations for Fishing—“That 
was a Monster!”—The “Bayard”—Masara the Slave—Cross 
the Peninsula to Settite—Jungle Cooking—A miserable Xight 

—Shoot badly—Fishing in the Atbara—A Good Bun 

Another Monster—Bacheet lands Him—The Baboons visit 
us—The Coor—Wild Vegetables—Death of Atalan Wat Said 
—Catch a Baggar—Fish salting—The Arbour. Page 205_230. 

CHAPTEB X. 

A FEW NOTES AT I3HETILLA. 

Fire the Valley—Arrival of Birds—Seized by a Crocodile 

Audacity of the Buzzard—The Abomination of Thorns_ 


CONTENTS. 


xvi 1 


Boa Constrictor—The Baboons hunt for Berries—Masses of 
small Birds—Cunning of the Crocodile—Method of seizing its 
Prey—Horse-dealing—Arab Saddles and Bits—Arrive at 
Sherif el Ibrahim—Arrival at the Settite—Becall of Mahomet 
—Sheik Achmet Wat el Negur—Mansfield Parky ns—Advan¬ 
tages of a “Sweet Name”—Elephants destroy the Crops—An 
Invitation to Shoot—The Hippo challenges Bacheet—A Good 
Shot—A Push at the Carcase—Elephants at Night—Kill 
an Elephant. Page 231- 256. 


CHAPTER XI. 

THE FORD. 

Girls carried away by the Rapids—An Amphibious Arab Girl— 
Search for the Body—The Corpse recovered—The Sheik lays 
down the Law—“The Pact is simply Impossible”—The 
Sheik’s Idea of Matrimony—The Duties of His Four Wives— 
The Maimed, the Halt, and the Blind—The Arab Fakeers 
or Priests—“All the Same with a little Difference”—The Cure 
for Frendeet—Arrival at Katariff—The Market Day—Scenes at 
the Fair—Custom of scarifying the Cheeks—The Galla Slave 
—Purchase her Freedom—Singular Misunderstanding—Ma¬ 
homet’s Explanation—Mek Nimmur invades the Frontier— 
Mek Nimmur’s Tactics—Insecurity of the Country—Mek 
Nimmur sends me his Compliments—Rodur Sherrif’s Withered 
Arm—The Aggageers—Mixture for Bullets—We make Arrow- 
root—Florian’s Hunter—Arrive at Geera—Follow a Herd of 
Elephants—Track up the Elephants—A Tremendous Crash—A 
Critical Position—The Forehead Shot—The Half-pound Ex¬ 
plosive Shell—Recover my old wounded Elephant—Fraternise 
with the Sword Hunters. Page 257 —295. 

CHAPTER XII. 

OLD NEPTUNE JOINS THE PARTY. 

The Arab Centaurs—Wild Arab Horsemanship—Discipline of the 
Gun-bearers—Off goes the Gun, and its Master !—Ombrega 




CONTENTS. 


xviii 

(Mother of the Thorn)—Leopard springs into the Camp—The 
Log carried off—The Bull Elephant—The Forehead Shot 
fails—The Mountain Chain of Abyssinia—A Hunt after a 
Herd of Baboons—The Prisoners—A Course after a Tetel— 
The Cry of Buffaloes—"We hunt and capture—The Baboons 
take Leave—The Yalley of the Settite—The Bull Buffalo— 
The Island Camp—Mahomet hears the Lions—Tales of the 
Bas6. Page, 296—317. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

THE LIONS FIND THE BUFFALO. 

We seek an Introduction—The Start of the Sword Hunters— 
The Bull Elephant—The “Baby” Screams at him—The 
Eight, Sword in Hand—Abou Do’s Blade tastes Blood— 
We find the Herd—Jali leads the Party—The Forehead 
Shot fairly proved—The Charge of the Phalanx—My “Baby” 
kicks viciously—Abou Lo slashes the Sinew—The Boar 
wounds Richarn—Old Moosa the Sorcerer — Heptune and 
his Trident—The Beauty of the Settite—Borders of the 
River—The Hippopotamus Hunter—The Hippo is harpooned 
—A Cheer for Old Hep tune—Death of the Hippopotamus— 
Character of Hippopotami—Habits of the Animal—Activity 
of the Hippopotamus. Page 318—342. 


CHAPTER XIY. 

A FOREBODING OF EVIL. 

Jali’s Thigh is broken—Abou Do saves Jali—Extraordinary Dex¬ 
terity—Jungle Surgery—We lose our best Man—My Tokrooris 
determine to desert—A little Diplomacy is required—The Sick 
are dosed—“ Embrace him ! ” cried old Moosa—We become 
staunch Friends—Abou Do’s Weaknesses—The Baobab—The 
Crop of Gum Arabic—The Rhinoceros—How for a “Tally Ho !” 
—The Hunt—Close to their Tails—“ A Horse ! a Horse ! my 
Kingdom for a Horse !”—The last Moment—Difficulty of Hunt- 




CONTENTS. 


xix 


ing—Power of Scent—Horns of the "Rhinoceros—Peculiarity or 
the Rhinoceros—Rhinoceros Snare—Barrake poisons herself— 
Attractive Pood for Elephants—Florian killed "by a Lion— 
Gloomy Prediction.- . rage 343—371. 


CHAPTER XV. 

ANTELOPES ON THE SETTITE. 

The Camp at Delladilla—Trionis Nilotica—Pish linked to Reptiles 
•—Scenes on the River’s Margin—The Nellut (A. Strepsiceros )— 
Swimming Rivers with a Horse—The Lion—The Lion Hunt— 
The Escape—The Bull Buffalo—Heath of the Bull—The Arabs’ 
Tit-bit—The Arab Plan for making Fire—The Mehedehet An¬ 
telope —Same qui Pent !-—Nearly Caught—Fire clears the 
Country—Discretion the better Part of Valour—The Camp in 
Hanger—Nearly burnt out—Crocodile-harpooning—The ugly 
little Statue—Harpooning the Hippopotamus—The Harpoon 
fixed—The Hippo determines to fight—The Lances are blunted 
—Ilor Mehetape—Geological Features—Unpleasant Report of 
the Spies. Page 372—401. 


CHAPTER XYL 

ABOU DO IS GREEDY. 

Departure of the Aggageers—Game returning from the River—A 
Bull Rhinoceros—We stalk the Rhinoceros—The Death—The 
Aggageers poach upon my Manor—Their Prize dies—Taher 
Noor faces the Lion—We start Fresh Game—A Curious Shot 
—Bait for the Lions—Highly exciting—My Tokrooris don’t 
like the Lion—The dying Lioness—Brought into Camp—Dif¬ 
ficulty in tracking the Lions—The Lion visits our Camp— 
Vis a vis with a Lion—A Surprise—Tetel faces the "Wounded 
Lion—Wonderful Courage of the Horse—Lions’ Claws worn 
as a Charm—We commence Soap-boiling— Savon a la Pete 
Fero:e — We bury Poor Barrake . Page 402 — 427. 




CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


WE REACH THE ROYAN. 

Hor Mai Gubba—The Erancolin Partridge—We watch for Game— 
Out with the Aggageers—The Banks of the Royan—We find a 
Bull Elephant—Helter Skelter—The Elephant at bay—Rodur 
with the withered Arm—The Sword wins the Day—The 
nimble Base dine cheaply—The great Whirlpool—The Royan 
Junction with the Settite—A Bull Rhinoceros—Bacheet has to 
run—Egyptians invaded Mmmur’s country—Our Arabs decline 
to proceed—Obliged to threaten the Camels—The Troop on a 
Foray—Narrow Escape—The Rifle bursts—We march from the 
Settite—Interesting Route—Mineral Wealth of Abyssinia— 
Present to Mek Nimmur—The Abyssinian Minstrel—Richard 
Coeur de Lion—I part with my dear Maria Theresa—The Ghost 
of the departed Fiddler—The “Lay of the Last Minstrel ”—My 
Introduction to Mek Nimmur—The Reception—The Poisonous 
Stream—Unfortunate Contretemps —Nimmur behaves like a 
Gentleman —Pharaoh’s Lean Kine. . . . Page 428—463. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

A CAMEL FALLS, AND DIES. 

Arabs consume the Raw Flesh—Arrival at the Bahr Salaam— 
Character of the Torrents—The Junction of the Angrab— 
Good Sport—Four Lucky Hits—A Fall over a Cliff—We 
save the Camel — Narrow Escape—The Hysena enters the 
Tent — Hippotragus Bakerii —The Base of the Abyssinian 
Alps—Delightful Country—Follow a Herd of Elephants— 
Aggahr takes the Lead—Fall at the Feet of Elephants— 
Benighted on our Return to Camp—“All’s Well that Ends 
Well”. Page 464—48 2. 



CONTENTS. 


XXI 


CHAPTEE XIX. 

SEND A PARTY TO RECONNOITRE. 

Ahead of the Camels—The Maarif—View from the Peak—The 
Ehinoceros attacks the Horse—The Bullet saves him—Arri¬ 
val of the Horses—The Ehinoceros Hunt—Bidden to Bay— 
Arrival of Birds of Prey—Habits of Vultures—The Marabou 
Stork—Sight, not Scent, directs the Vulture—Abou Seen— 
“Last but not Least”—Eoute to Nahoot Guddabi—Arrive at 
the Atbara—Last View of the Atbara—The Atbara Explora¬ 
tion completed. Page 483—500. 


CHAPTEE XX. 

ARRIVAL AT METEMMA, OR GALLABAT. 

Poisonous Water—The Trade of Abyssinia—We encounter Mis¬ 
sionaries—The Theological Blacksmith—The Missionaries’ Medi¬ 
cine-Chest—Jemma, Sheik of the Tokrooris—The Egyptians 
attack Gallabat—Settlement of the Tokrooris—Industry of the 
Tokrooris—Weapons, Type, and Character—The Colonisation 
by Tokrooris—Honey Wine of Abyssinia—All Drunk Last 
Night—Distance from an Act of Parliament—We leave Gal¬ 
labat—A Eow with the Tokrooris—Tokroori Champion insists 
on lighting—A Eeal Flat-Nosed African Nigger—Death of 
Aggahr and Gazelle—Forced March to the Bahad—The Eiver 
Eahad. Page 501—523. 


CHAPTEE XXL 

FERTILITi OF THE COUNTRY ON THE BANKS OF THE RAHAD. 

Journey along the Eahad—Eich Country—We cross over to the 
Dinder—Ferocity of Crocodiles in that Eiver—Character of the 
Dinder—Activity of the African Elephant— Distinction of 
Species—Peculiarity of Form—African and Indian Elephants 

C 




XXII 


CONTENTS. 


—Destruction of Forests—Elephant’s Foot a Luxury—Pre¬ 
servation of Flesh and Fat for the March—Preparation of Bread 
for a Journey—The Bos Caffer —The most Formidable Animals 
—Rifles for Wild Countries—Sundry Hints—Bullets for Large 
Game—Antelopes of Central Africa and Abyssinia. 

Page 524—54G. 


CHAPTER XXII. 

WE LEAVE THE DINDER. 

Curious Hunting Party—Character of Abyssinian Rivers— Borassus 
jEthiopicus —Rufaar and the Arab Sheik—The Blue Nile—The 
very gentlemanly Faky—Regularly “ sold ”—Arrival at Khar¬ 
toum—The British Lion—The Zoological Collection—The 
Ostriches invite themselves to Tea—I intercede for Mek 
Kimmur—King Theodore’s Ultimatum—Climate of the Sou¬ 
dan—Productions of the Soudan—The Sageer, or Water¬ 
wheel—Uncontrolled Action of the Kile—Suggestions for the 
Irrigation of Egypt—Why should not Science create a Delta 1 ?— 
A Series of Weirs upon the Kile—The Benefits to Egypt and 
to Civilization—Ancient Works of Irrigation in Ceylon—In¬ 
dustrious Population of Egypt—Capabilities for producing 
Cotton—The Great Sahara—The Race of Life—Prepare to 
discover the White Nile Source .... Page 547—575. 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

From Original Sketches by Sir S. W. Baker. 

PAGE 

portraits.. Frontispiece 

GAZELLE-STALKING IN THE DESERT .16 

THE DESERT JOURNEY.99 

THE SEROOT FLY.185 

FIRST RUSH OF THE GIRAFFES.190 

THE BAYARD. 213 

THE COOR .225 

THE BAGGAR.229 

QUARREL OVER A HIPPOPOTAMUS.254 

ARABS ATTACKING THE ELEPHANT WITH THE SWORD .... 323 

THE RHINOCEROS HUNT. TAHER SHERIFF LEADS.361 

HEAD OF THE BLACK RHINOCEROS.365 

THE RHINOCEROSES HAVE IT ALL THEIR OWN WAY.387 

HARPOONING THE CROCODILE.393 

HARPOONING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.395 

THE FIGHT WITH THE BULL HIPPO.397 

GAME RETURNING FROM THE RIVER .403 

THE DYING LIONESS.416 

CLOSE QUARTERS WITH THE LION.420 

THE WHIRLPOOL AT THE ROYAN JUNCTION.440 

THE SWORD WINS THE DAY.438 

head of mehedehet. ( Ii. Fllipsiprymna) .469 

UNPROVOKED ATTACK OF A RHINOCEROS UPON THE HORSE . . . 488 

THE RHINOCEROS RIDDEN TO BAY ........... 491 












































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THE 


NILE TRIBUTARIES OF ABYSSINIA, 

AND THE 

SWOED HUXTEBS OF THE HAMBAX AEABS. 

CHAPTER I. 

ABOVE THE CATARACT. 

Without troubling the public with a description of 
that portion of the Nile to the north of the first 
cataract, or with a detailed account of the Egyptian 
ruins, that have been visited by a thousand tourists, 
I will commence by a few extracts from my journal, 
written at the close of the boat voyage from 
Cairo:— 

“ May 8 , 1861 .—No air. The thermometer 104° 
Fahr.; a stifling heat. Becalmed, we have been lying 
the entire day below the ruins of Philae. These are 
the most imposing monuments of the Nile, owing to 
their peculiar situation upon a rocky island that com¬ 
mands the passage of the river above the cataract. 
The banks of the stream are here hemmed in by 
ranges of hills from 100 to 250 feet high; these are 

B 


2 


STERILITY. 


[chap. I. 


entirely destitute of soil, being composed of enor¬ 
mous masses of red granite, piled block upon block, 
the rude masonry of Nature that has walled in the 
river. The hollows between the hills are choked 
with a yellow sand, which, drifted by the wind, 
has, in many instances, completely filled the narrow 
valleys. Upon either side of the Nile are vestiges 
of ancient forts. The land appears as though it 
bore the curse of Heaven; misery, barrenness, and 
the heat of a furnace are its features. The glowing 
rocks, devoid of a trace of vegetation, reflect the 
sun with an intensity that must be felt to be under¬ 
stood. The miserable people who dwell in villages 
upon the river’s banks snatch every sandbank from 
the retiring stream, and immediately plant their 
scanty garden with melons, gourds, lentils, &c. this 
being their only resource for cultivation. Not an inch 
of available soil is lost; but day by day, as the river 
decreases, fresh rows of vegetables are sown upon the 
newly-acquired land. At Assouan, the sandbanks are 
purely sand brought down by the cataracts, therefore 
soil must be added to enable the people to cultivate. 
They dig earth from the ruins of the ancient town ; 
this they boat across the river and spread upon the 
sandbank, by which excessive labour they secure suffi¬ 
cient mould to support their crops. 

In the vicinity of Philae the very barrenness of the 
scenery possesses a charm. The iron-like sterility of 
the granite rocks, naked except in spots where the 
wind has sheeted them with sand ; the groves of palms 


chap, i.] ARRIVAL AT KOROSKO. 3 

springing unexpectedly into view in this desert 
wilderness, as a sudden bend of the river discovers a 
village; the ever blue and never clouded sky above, 
and, the only blessing of this blighted land, the Nile, 
silently flowing between its stern walls of rocks to¬ 
wards the distant land of Lower Egypt, form a total 
that produces a scene to be met with nowhere but 
upon the Nile. In this miserable spot the unfor¬ 
tunate inhabitants are taxed equally with those of 
the richer districts—about fivepence annually for each 
date palm. 

“ May 9 .—A good breeze, but tremendous heat. 
Although the floor and the curtains of the cabin are 
continually wetted, and the Venetian blinds are closed, 
the thermometer, at 4 p.m., stood at 105 in the 
shade; and, upon deck, 137° in the sun. This day 
we passed the ruins of several small temples. The 
country is generally rocky, with intervals of ten or 
twelve miles of desert plains. 

“May 10 .—Fine breeze, the boat sailing well. 
Passed several small temples. The henna grows in 
considerable quantities on the left bank of the river. 
The leaf resembles that of the myrtle; the blossom 
has a powerful fragrance; it grows like a feather, 
about eighteen inches long, forming a cluster of small 
yellow flowers. The day pleasantly cool; thermo¬ 
meter, 95°. 

“May 11 .—At 5 a.m. we arrived at Korosko; 
lat. 22° 50' N.; the halting-place for all vessels from 
Lower Egypt with merchandise for the Soudan.” 

B 2 


4 


TWENTY-SIX DAYS FROM CAIRO. 


[chap. I. 


At this wretched spot the Nile is dreary beyond 
description, as a vast desert, unenlivened by cultiva¬ 
tion, forms its borders, through which the melancholy 
river rolls towards Lower Egypt in the cloudless glare 
of a tropical sun. From whence came this extraordi¬ 
nary stream that could flow through these burning 
sandy deserts, unaided by tributary channels ? That 
was the mysterious question as we stepped upon the 
shore now, to commence our land journey in search 
of the distant sources. We climbed the steep sandy 
bank, and sat down beneath a solitary sycamore. 

We had been twenty-six days sailing from Cairo 
to this point. The boat returned, and left us on the 
east bank of the Nile, with the great Nubian desert 
before us. 

Korosko is not rich in supplies. A few miserable 
Arab huts, with the usual fringe of dusty date palms, 
compose the village; the muddy river is the frontier 
on the west, the burning desert on the east. Thus 
hemmed in, Korosko is a narrow strip of a few yards 
width on the margin of the Nile, with only one re¬ 
deeming feature in its wretchedness—the green shade 
of the old sycamore beneath which we sat. 

I had a firman from the Viceroy, a cook, and a dra¬ 
goman. Thus, my impedimenta were not numerous. 
The firman was an order to all Egyptian officials for 
assistance ; the cook was dirty and incapable ; and the 
interpreter was nearly ignorant of English, although a 
professed polyglot. With this small beginning, Africa 
was before me, and thus I commenced the search for 


CHAP. I.] 


THE NUBIAN DESERT. 


the Nile sources. Absurd as this may appear, it was 
a correct commencement. Ignorant of Arabic, I could 
not have commanded a large party, who would have 
been at the mercy of the interpreter or dragoman; 
thus, the first qualification necessary to success was a 
knowledge of the language. 

After a delay of some days, I obtained sixteen camels 
from the sheik. I had taken the precaution to provide 
water-barrels, in addition to the usual goat skins; and, 
with a trustworthy guide, we quitted Korosko on the 
16th May, 1861, and launched into the desert. 

The route from Korosko across the Nubian desert 
cuts off the chord of an arc made by the great westerly 
bend of the Nile. This chord is about 230 miles in 
length. Throughout this barren desert there is no 
water, except at the .half-way station, Moorahd (from 
moorra , bitter) ; this, although salt and bitter, is 
relished by camels. During the hot season in which 
we unfortunately travelled, the heat was intense, the 
thermometer ranging from 106° to 114° Fahr. in the 
shade. The parching blast of the simoom was of such 
exhausting power, that the water rapidly evaporated 
from the closed water-skins. It was, therefore, neces¬ 
sary to save the supply by a forced march of seven 
days, in which period we were to accomplish the dis¬ 
tance, and to reach Abou Hammed, on the southern 
bend of the welcome Nile. 

During the cool months, from November until 
February, the desert journey is not disagreeable ; but 
the vast area of glowing sand exposed to the scorching 


6 


NATURE’S PYRAMIDS. 


[chap. I. 


sun of summer, in addition to the withering breath of 
the simoom, renders the forced march of 230 miles in 
seven days, at two and a half miles per hour, the most 
fatiguing journey that can be endured. 

Farewell to the Nile! We turned our backs upon 
the life-giving; river, and our caravan commenced the 
silent desert march. 

A few hours from Korosko the misery of the scene 
surpassed description. Glowing like a furnace, the 
vast extent of yellow sand stretched to the horizon. 
Eows of broken hills, all of volcanic origin, broke the 
flat plain. Conical tumuli of volcanic slag here and 
there rose to the height of several hundred feet, and in 
the far distance resembled the pyramids of Lower 
Egypt—doubtless they were the models for that 
ancient and everlasting architecture; hills of black 
basalt jutted out from the barren base of sand, and 
the molten air quivered on the overheated surface of 
the fearful desert. 114° Fahr. in the. shade under 
the water-skins; 137° in the sun. Noiselessly the 
spongy tread of the camels crept along the sand—the 
only sound was the rattle of some loosely secured 
baggage of their packs. The Arab camel drivers fol¬ 
lowed silently at intervals, and hour by hour we 
struck deeper into the solitude of the Nubian desert. 

We entered a dead level plain of orange-coloured 
sand, surrounded by pyramidical hills: the surface 
was strewn with objects resembling cannon shot and 
grape of all sizes from a 32-pounder downwards—the 
spot looked like the old battle-field of some infernal 


chap, i.] VOLCANIC BOMBS. 7 

region; rocks glowing with heat—not a vestige of 
vegetation—barren, withering desolation.—The slow 
rocking step of the camels was most irksome, and 
despite the heat, I dismounted to examine the Satanic 
bombs and cannon shot. Many of them were as 
perfectly round as though cast in a mould, others were 
egg-shaped, and all were hollow. With some diffi¬ 
culty I broke them, and found them to contain a 
bright red sand : they were, in fact, volcanic bombs 
that had been formed by the ejection of molten lava 
to a great height from active volcanoes; these had 
become globular in falling, and, having cooled before 
they reached the earth, they retained their forms as 
hard spherical bodies, precisely resembling cannon 
shot. The exterior was brown, and appeared to be 
rich in iron. The smaller specimens were the more 
perfect spheres, as they had cooled quickly, but many 
of the heavier masses had evidently reached the earth 
when only half solidified, and had collapsed upon 
falling. The sandy plain was covered with such 
vestiges of volcanic action, and the infernal bombs 
lay as imperishable relics of a hail-storm such as 
may have destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Passing through this wretched solitude we entered 
upon a scene of surpassing desolation. Far as the 
eye could reach were waves like a stormy sea, grey 
cold-looking waves in the burning heat; but no 
drop of water: it appeared as though a sudden curse 
had turned a raging sea to stone. The simoom blew 
over this horrible wilderness, and drifted the hot 


8 


THE STONY SEA. 


[chap. I. 


sand into the crevices of the rocks, and the camels 
drooped their heads before the suffocating wind; 
but still the caravan noiselessly crept along over the 
rocky undulations, until the stormy sea was passed : 
once more we were upon a boundless plain of sand 
and pebbles. 

Here every now and then we discovered withered 
melons (Cucumis colocynthis) ; the leaves had long 
since disappeared, and the shrivelled stalks were 
brittle as glass. They proved that even the desert 
had a season of life, however short; but the desert 
fruits were bitter. So intensely bitter was the dry 
white interior of these melons, that it exactly re¬ 
sembled quinine in taste ; when rubbed between 
the fingers, it became a fine white powder. The 
Arabs use this medicinally; a small piece placed 
in a cup of milk, and allowed to stand for a few 
hours, renders the draught a strong aperient. The 
sun—that relentless persecutor of the desert traveller 
—sank behind the western hills, and the long wished 
for night arrived; cool, delicious night! the ther¬ 
mometer 78° Fahr. a difference of 36° between the 
shade of day. 

The guide commanded the caravan,—he was the 
desert pilot, and no one dared question his direc¬ 
tions ; he ordered a halt for two hours rest. This 
was the usual stage and halting-place by the side 
of a perpendicular rock, the base of which was strewn 
thick with camel’s dung; this excellent fuel soon 
produced a blazing fire, the coffee began to boil, and 


CHAP. I.] 


THE CAMEL’S GRAVE. 


9 


fowls were roasting for a hasty dinner. A short 
snatch of sleep upon the sand, and the voice of the 
guide again disturbed us. The camels had not been 
unloaded, but had lain down to rest with their packs, 
and had thus eaten their feed of dhurra (Sorghum 
vulgare) from a mat. In a few minutes we started, 
once more the silent and monotonous desert march! 

In the cool night I preferred walking to the 
uneasy motion of the camel; the air was most in¬ 
vigorating after the intense heat of the day, and the 
prostration caused by the simoom. The desert had a 
charm by night, as the horizon of its nakedness was 
limited; the rocks assumed fantastic shapes in the 
bright moonlight, and the profound stillness produced 
an effect of the supernatural in that wild and myste¬ 
rious solitude ; the Arab belief in the genii and 
afreet, and all the demon enemies of man, was a 
natural consequence of a wandering life in this desert 
wilderness, where nature is hostile to all living beings. 

In forty-six hours and forty-five minutes’ actual 
marching from Korosko we reached Moorahd, “the 
bitter well.” 

This is a mournful spot, well known to the tired 
and thirsty camel, the hope of reaching which has 
urged him fainting on his weary way to drink one 
draught before he dies; this is the camel’s grave. 
Situated half way between Korosko and Abou 
Hammed, the well of Moorahd is in an extinct crater, 
surrounded upon all sides but one by precipitous cliffs 
about 300 feet high. The bottom is a dead flat, and 


10 THE CROWS OF MOORAHD. [chap. i. 

forms a valley of sand about 250 yards wide. In this 
bosom of a crater, salt and bitter water is found at a 
depth of only six feet from the surface. To this our 
tired camels frantically rushed upon being unloaded. 

The valley was a “ valley of dry bones.” Innumer¬ 
able skeletons of camels lay in all directions ; the 
ships of the desert thus stranded on their voyage. 
Withered heaps of parched skin and bone lay here and 
there, in the distinct forms in which the camels had 
gasped their last; the dry desert air had converted 
the hide into a coffin. There were no flies here, thus 
there were no worms to devour the carcases, but the 
usual sextons were the crows, although sometimes too 
few to perform their office. These were perched upon 
the overhanging cliffs ; but no sooner had our over¬ 
worked camels taken their long draught and laid 
down exhausted on the sand, than by common con¬ 
sent they descended from their high places, and 
walked round and round each tired beast. 

As many wretched animals simply crawl to this 
spot to die, the crows, from long experience and con¬ 
stant practice, can form a pretty correct diagnosis 
upon the case of a sick camel; they had evidently 
paid a professional visit to my caravan, and were 
especially attentive in studying the case of one par¬ 
ticular camel that was in a very weakly condition 
and had stretched itself full length upon the sand; 
nor would they leave it until it was driven forward. 

The heat of Moorahd was terrific ; there was no 
shade of any kind, and the narrow valley surrounded 


CHAP. I.] 


A DELICIOUS DRAUGHT. 


11 


by glowing rocks formed a natural oven. The intense 
dryness of the overheated atmosphere was such, that 
many of our water-skins that appeared full were 
nearly empty; the precious supply had evaporated 
through the porous leather, and the skins were s im ply 
distended by the expanded air within. Fortunately I 
had taken about 108 gallons from Korosko, and I pos¬ 
sessed a grand reserve in my two barrels which could 
not waste; these were invaluable as a resource when 
the supply in the skins should be exhausted. My 
Arab camel-men were supposed to be provided with 
their own private supply; but, as they had calculated 
upon stealing from my stock, in which they were dis¬ 
appointed, they were on exceedingly short allowance, 
and were suffering much from thirst. During our 
forced march of three days and a half, it had been im¬ 
possible to perform the usual toilette, therefore, as water 
was life, washing had been out of the question. Moor- 
ahd had been looked forward to as the spot of six 
hours’ rest, where we could indulge in the luxury of 
a bath on a limited scale after the heat and fatigue of 
the journey. Accordingly, about two quarts of water 
were measured into a large Turkish copper basin ; the 
tent, although the heat was unendurable, was the only 
dressing room, and the two quarts of water, with a 
due proportion of soap, having washed two people, 
was about to be thrown away, when the Arab guide, 
who had been awaiting his opportunity, snatched the 
basin from the servant, and in the agony of thirst 
drank nearly the whole of its contents, handing the 


ROCKS OF THE DESERT. 


12 


[chap. I. 


residue to a brother Arab, with the hearty ejaculation, 
“ El hambd el Illah ” (Thank God !). 

My wife was seriously ill from the fatigue and in¬ 
tense heat, but there can be no halt in the desert; dead 
or alive, with the caravan you must travel, as the party 
depends upon the supply of water. A few extracts 
verbatim from my journal will describe the journey :— 

“ May 20 .—Started at 12.30 p.m. and halted at 
6.30. Off again at 7.30 p.m. till 2.45 a.m. About four 
miles from Moorahd, grey granite takes the place of 
the volcanic slag and schist that formed the rocks to 
that point. The desert is now a vast plain, bounded 
by a range of rugged hills on the south. On the north 
side of Moorahd, at a distance of about eight miles, 
slate is met with; this continues for about three miles 
of the route, but it is of impure quality, with the ex¬ 
ception of one vein, of a beautiful blue colour. A few 
miserable stunted thorny mimosas are here to be seen 
scattered irregularly, as though lost in this horrible 
desert. 

“ Many years ago, when the Egyptian troops first 
conquered Nubia, a regiment was destroyed by thirst 
in crossing this desert. The men, being upon a limited 
allowance of water, suffered from extreme thirst, and 
deceived by the appearance of a mirage that exactly 
resembled a beautiful lake, they insisted on being 
taken to its banks by the Arab guide. It was in vain 
that the guide assured them that the lake was unreal, 
and he refused to lose the precious time by wandering 
from his course. Words led to blows, and he was 


CHAP. I.] 


THE PERISHED REGIMENT. 


13 


killed by the soldiers, whose lives depended upon his 
guidance. The whole regiment turned from the track 
and rushed towards the welcome waters. Thirsty and 
faint over the burning sands they hurried—heavier 
and heavier their footsteps became—hotter and hotter 
their breath, as deeper they pushed into the desert 
—farther and farther from the lost track where 
the pilot lay in his blood; and still the mocking 
spirits of the desert, the afreets of the mirage, led 
them on, and the lake glistening in the sunshine 
tempted them to bathe in its cool waters, close to 
their eyes but never at their lips. At length the 
delusion vanished—the fatal lake had turned to 
burning sand! Raging thirst and horrible despair ! 
the pathless desert and the murdered guide ! lost! 
lost! all lost! Not a man ever left the desert, but 
they were subsequently discovered, parched and 
withered corpses, by the Arabs sent upon the search. 

“ May 21 .—Started at 5.45 a.m. till 8.45 ; again, at 
1.45 p.m. till V p.m. ; again, at 9.30 P.M., till 4 a.m. 
Saw two gazelles, the first living creatures, except the 
crows at Moorahd, that we have seen since we left 
Korosko; there must be a supply of water in the 
mountains known only to these animals. Thermo¬ 
meter, 111° Fahr. in shade; at night, 78°. The 
water in the leather bottle that I repaired is deliciously 
cool. N.B.—In sewing leather bottles or skins for 
holding water, no thread should be used, but a leathern 
thong, which should be dry; it will then swell when 
wetted, and the seam will be watertight. 


14 


ARRIVAL AT TEE NILE. 


[chap. I. 


“May 22 .—Started at 5.30 a.m. till 0.30 ; again, at 
2.15 p.m. till 7.15 p.m. Eestecl to dine, and started 
again at 8.30 p.m. ; till 4.25 a.m. reaching Abou 
Hammed, thank Heaven! 

“ Yesterday evening we passed through a second 
chain of rugged hills of grey granite, about 600 feet high, 
and descended through a pass to an extensive plain, in 
which rose abruptly, like huge pyramids, four granite 
hills, at great distances apart. So exactly do they 
resemble artificial pyramids at a distance, that it is 
difficult to believe they are natural objects. I feel 
persuaded that the ancient Egyptians took their designs 
for monuments and buildings from the hills themselves, 
and raised in the plains of Lower Egypt artificial 
pyramids in imitation of the granite hills of this form. 
Their temples were in form like many of the granite 
ranges, and were thoroughly encased with stone. The 
extraordinary massiveness of these works suggests that 
Nature assisted the design; the stone columns are 
imitations of the date palms, and the buildings are 
copies of the rocky hills—the two common features of 
Egyptian scenery. 

“ Throughout the route from Korosko, the skeletons 
of camels number about eight per mile, with the 
exception of the last march on either side of the 
watering-place Moorahd, on which there are double 
that number, as the animals have become exhausted 
as they approach the well. In the steep pass through 
the hills, where the heat is intense, and the sand 
deep, the mortality is dreadful; in some places I 


oiiAr. i.] 


DISTANCE FROM KOROSKO. 


15 


counted six and eight in a. heap; and this difficult 
portion of the route is a mass of bones, as every weak 
animal gives in at the trying place. 

“ So dreadful a desert is this between Korosko and 
Abou Hammed, that Said Pasha ordered the route to 
be closed; but it was re-opened upon the application 
of foreign consuls, as the most direct road to the 
Soudan. Our Bishareen Arabs are first-rate walkers, 
as they have performed the entire journey on foot. 
Their water and provisions were all exhausted 
yesterday, but fortunately I had guarded the key 
of my two water-casks; thus I had a supply 
when every water-skin was empty, and on the last 
day I divided my sacred stock amongst the men, 
and the still more thirsty camels. In the hot 
months, a camel cannot march longer than three 
days without drinking, unless at the cost of great 
suffering. 

“Having arrived here (Abou Hammed) at 4.25 this 
morning, 23d May, I had the luxury of a bath. The 
very sight of the Nile was delightful, after the parched 
desolation of the last seven days. The small village is 
utterly destitute of everything, and the sterile desert 
extends to the very margin of the Nile. The journey 
having occupied ninety-two hours of actual marching 
across the desert, gives 230 miles as the distance from 
Korosko, at the loaded-camel rate of two and a half 
miles per hour. The average duration of daily march 
has been upwards of thirteen hours, including a day’s 
halt at Moorahd. My camels have arrived in tolerable 


16 


GAZELLES OF THE DESERT. 


[chap. I 


condition, as tlieir loads did not exceed 400 lbs. each , 
the usual load is 500 lbs. 

“ May 24 .—Rested both men and beasts. A caravan 
of about thirty camels arrived, having lost three during 
the route. 

“ May 25 .—Started at 5 a.m. The route is along 
the margin of the Nile, to which the desert extends. 
A fringe of stunted bushes, and groves of the coarse 
and inelegant dome palm, mark the banks of the river 
by a thicket of about half a mile in width. I saw 
many gazelles, and succeeded in stalking a fine buck, 
and killing him with a rifle. 

“ May 26 .—Marched ten hours. Saw gazelles, but 
so wild that it was impossible to shoot. Thermometer, 
110° Fahr. 

“May 27 .—Marched four hours and forty-five 
minutes, when we were obliged to halt, as F. is very 
ill. In the evening I shot two gazelles, which kept 
the party in meat. 

“ May 28 .—Marched fifteen hours, to make up for 
the delay of yesterday. Shot a buck on the route. 

“ May 29 .—The march of yesterday cut off an angle 
of the river, and we made a straight course through 
the desert, avoiding a bend of the stream. At 7.30 
this morning we met the Nile again; the same cha¬ 
racter of country as before, the river full of rocks, and 
forming a succession of rapids the entire distance from 
Abou Hammed. Navigation at this season is impos¬ 
sible, and is most dangerous even at flood time. The 
simoom is fearful, and the heat is so intense that it 


GAZELLE-STALKING IN THE DESERT. See page 16. 


\ 






































































































































































































































CHAP. I.] 


DRYNESS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 


17 


was impossible to draw the gun cases out of their 
leather covers, which it was necessary to cut open. 
All woodwork is warped; ivory knife-handles are 
split; paper breaks when crunched in the hand, and 
the very marrow seems to be dried out of the bones by 
this horrible simoom. One of our camels fell down to 
die. Shot two buck gazelles; I saw many, but they 
are very wild. 

“May 30. —The extreme dryness of the air in¬ 
duces an extraordinary amount of electricity in 
the hair, and in all woollen materials. A Scotch 
plaid laid upon a blanket for a few hours adheres to 
it, and upon being roughly withdrawn at night a 
sheet of flame is produced, accompanied by tolerably 
loud reports. 

“ May 31. —After an early march of three hours and 
twenty minutes, we arrived at the. town of Berber, on 
the Nile, at 9.35 a.m. We have been fifty-seven hours 
and five minutes actual marching from Abou Hammed, 
which, at two and a half miles per hour, equals 143 
miles. We have thus marched 373 miles from Korosko 
to Berber in fifteen days; the entire route is the mono¬ 
tonous Nubian desert. Our camels have averaged 
twenty-five miles per day, with loads of 400 lbs., at a 
cost of ninety piastres (about 196 *.) each, for the whole 
distance. This rate, with the addition of the guide’s 
expenses, equals about 5s. 6d. per 100 lbs. for carriage 
throughout 373 miles of burning desert. Although 
this frightful country appears to be cut ofl* from all 
communication with the world, the extremely low rate 
c 


ARRVAIL AT BERBER. 


18 


[chap. I. 


of transport charges affords great facility for com¬ 
merce.” * 

Berber is a large town, and in appearance is similar 
to the Nile towns of Lower Egypt, consisting of the 
usual dusty, unpaved streets, and flat-roofed houses of 
sun-baked bricks. It is the seat of a Governor or 
Mudir, and is generally the quarters for about 1,500 
troops. We were very kindly received by Halleem 
Effendi, the ex-governor, who at once gave us permis¬ 
sion to pitch the tents in his garden, close to the Nile, 
on the southern outskirt of the town. After fifteen 
days of desert marching, the sight of a well-cultivated 
garden was an Eden in our eyes. About eight acres 
of land, on the margin of the river, were thickly 
planted with lofty date groves, and shady citron and 
lemon-trees, beneath which we revelled in luxury on 
our Persian rugs, and enjoyed complete rest after the 
fatigue of our long journey. Countless birds were 
chirping and singing in the trees above us; innume¬ 
rable ring-doves were cooing in the shady palms ; and 
the sudden change from the dead sterility of the 
desert to the scene of verdure and of life, produced an 
extraordinary effect upon the spirits. What caused 
this curious transition? Why should this charming 
oasis, teeming with vegetation and with life, be found 
in the yellow, sandy desert ? . . ., Water had worked 


* Since that date, 31 May, 1861, the epidemic or cattle plague 
carried off an immense number of camels, and the charges of trans¬ 
port rose in 1864 and 1865 to a rate that completely paralysed the 
trade of Upper Egypt. 


chap, i.] HALLEEM EFFENDPS GARDEN. ]9 

tills change ; the spirit of the Nile, more potent than 
any genii of the Arabian fables, had transformed the 
desert into a fruitful garden. Halleem EfFendi, the 
former governor, had, many years ago, planted this 
garden, irrigated by numerous water-wheels; and we 
now enjoyed the fruits, and thanked Heaven for its 
greatest blessings in that burning land, shade and 
cool water. 

The tents were soon arranged, the camels were paid 
for and discharged, and in the cool of the evening 
we were visited by the Governor and suite. 

The firman having been officially presented by the 
dragoman upon our arrival in the morning, the 
Governor had called with much civility to inquire 
into our projects and to offer assistance. We were 
shortly seated on carpets outside the tent, and after 
pipes and coffee, and the usual preliminary compli¬ 
ments, my dragoman explained, that the main object 
of our journey, was the search for the sources of the 
Nile, or, as he described it, “ the head of the river.” 

Both the Governor and Halleem EfFendi, with many 
officers who had accompanied them, were Turks, but, in 
spite of the gravity and solidity for which the Turk is 
renowned, their faces relaxed into a variety of expres¬ 
sions at this (to them) absurd announcement. “ The 
head of the Nile ! ” they exclaimed, “ impossible. Do 
they know where it is V' inquired the Governor of the 
dragoman; and upon an explanation being given, 
that, as we did not know where it was, we had pro¬ 
posed to discover it, the Turks merely shook their 
C 2 


20 HALLEEM GIVES ADVICE. [chap. i. 

heads, sipped their coffee, and took extra whiffs at 
their long pipes, until at length the white-haired old 
Halleem Effendi spoke. He gave good and parental 
advice as follows :—“ Don’t go upon so absurd an 
errand ; nobody knows anything about the Nile, nei¬ 
ther will any one discover its source. We do not even 
know the source of the Atbara, how should we know 
the source of the great Nile ? A great portion of the 
Atbara flows through the Pasha of Egypt’s dominions; 
the firman in your possession with his signature, will 
insure you respect, so long as you remain within his 
territory, but if you cross his frontier you will be in 
the hands of savages. The White Nile is the country 
of the negroes ; wild ferocious races, who have neither 
knowledge of God nor respect for the Pasha, and you 
must travel with a powerful armed force ; the climate 
is deadly ; how could you penetrate such a region to 
search for what is useless, even should you attain it ? 
But how would it be possible for a lady, young and 
delicate, to endure what would kill the strongest man ? 
Travel along the Atbara river into the Taka country, 
there is much to be seen that is unexplored ; but give 
up the mad scheme of the Nile source.” 

There was some sense in old Halleem Effendi’s 
advice, it was the cool and cautious wisdom of old 
age, but as I was not so elderly I took it “ cum grano 
salis.” He was a charming old gentleman, the perfect 
beau ideal of the true old style of Turk, but few speci¬ 
mens of which remain ; all that he had said was 
spoken in sincerity, and I resolved to collect as much 


CHAP. I.] 


THE NILE RISING. 


21 


information as possible from the grey-headed authori¬ 
ties before I should commence the expedition. I was 
deeply impressed with one fact, that until I could dis¬ 
pense with an interpreter it would be impossible to 
succeed, therefore I determined to learn Arabic as 
speedily as possible. 

A week’s rest in the garden of Halleem Effendi 
prepared us for the journey. I resolved to explore 
the Atbara river and the Abyssinian affluents, 
prior to commencing the White Nile voyage. The 
Governor promised me two Turkish soldiers as attend¬ 
ants, and I arranged to send my heavy baggage by 
boat to Khartoum, and secure the advantage of travel¬ 
ling light; a comfort that no one can appreciate who 
has not felt the daily delay in loading a long string of 
camels. Both my wife and I had suffered from a short 
attack of fever brought on by the prostrating effect of 
the simoom, which at this season (June) was at its 
height. The Nile was slowly rising, although it was 
still low; occasionally it fell about eighteen inches in 
one night, but again rose; this proved that, although 
the rains had commenced, they were not constant, as 
the steady and rapid increase of the river had not 
taken place. The authorities assured me that the 
Blue Nile was now rising at Khartoum, which ac¬ 
counted for the increase of the river at Berber. 

The garden of Halleem Effendi was attended by a 
number of fine powerful slaves from the White Nile, 
whose stout frames and glossy skins were undeniable 
witness o their master’s care. A charmingly pretty 


22 VISIT OF THE LADIES. [chap. i. 

slave girl paid ns daily visits, with presents of fruit 
from her kind master and numerous mistresses, who, 
with the usual Turkish compliments as a preliminary 
message, requested permission to visit the English lady. 

In the cool hour of evening a bevy of ladies ap¬ 
proached through the dark groves of citron trees, so 
gaily dressed in silks of the brightest dyes of yellow, 
blue, and scarlet, that no bouquet of flowers could 
have been more gaudy. They were attended by nume¬ 
rous slaves, and the head servant politely requested 
me to withdraw during the interview. Thus turned 
out of my tent I was compelled to patience and soli¬ 
tude beneath a neighbouring date palm. 

The result of the interview with my wife was most 
satisfactory; the usual womanish questions had been 
replied to, and hosts of compliments exchanged. We 
were then rich in all kinds of European trifles that 
excited their curiosity, and a few little presents esta¬ 
blished so great an amount of confidence that they 
gave the individual history of each member of the 
family from childhood, that would have filled a column 
of the Times with births, deaths, and marriages. 

Some of these ladies were very young and pretty, 
and of course exercised a certain influence over their 
husbands ; thus, on the following morning, we were 
inundated with visitors, as the male members of the 
family came to thank us for the manner in which their 
ladies had been received; and fruit, flowers, and the 
general produce of the garden were presented us in 
profusion. However pleasant, there were draw- 


HAP. I.] 


THE PILLARS OF SAND. 


23 


backs to our Garden of Eden; there was dust in our 
Paradise ; not the dust that Ave see in Europe upon 
unwatered roads, that simply fills the eyes, but sudden 
clouds raised by whirlwinds in the desert which fairly 
choked the ears and nostrils when thus attacked. 
June is the season when these phenomena are most 
prevalent. At that time the rains have commenced in 
the south and are extending towards the north ; the 
cold and heavier air of the southern rain-clouds sweeps 
down upon the overheated atmosphere of the desert, 
and produces sudden violent squalls and whirlwinds 
when least expected, as at that time the sky is cloud¬ 
less. 

The effect of these desert whirlwinds is most 
curious, as their force is sufficient to raise dense 
columns of sand and dust several thousand feet high ; 
these are not the evanescent creations of a changing 
wind, but they frequently exist for many hours, and 
travel forward, or more usually in circles, resembling 
in the distance solid pillars of sand. The Arab super¬ 
stition invests these appearances with the supernatural, 
and the mysterious sand-column of the desert wan¬ 
dering in its burning solitude, is an evil spirit, a “ Gin” 
(“ genii ” plural, of the Arabian Nights). I have 
frequently seen many such columns at the same time 
in the boundless desert, all travelling or waltzing- 
in various directions at the wilful choice of each 
whirlwind : this vagrancy of character is an undoubted 
proof to the Arab mind of their independent and dia¬ 
bolical origin. 


24 THE GOVERNOR’S FRIENDSHIP. [chap. i. 

The Abyssinian traveller, Bruce, appears to have 
entertained a peculiar dread of the dangers of such 
sand columns, but on this point his fear was exagge¬ 
rated. Cases may have occurred where caravans have 
been suffocated by whirlwinds of sand, but these are 
rare exceptions, arid the usual effects of the dust 
storm are the unroofing of thatched huts, the destruc¬ 
tion of a few date palms, and the disagreeable amount 
of sand that not only half chokes both man and beast, 
but buries all objects that may be lying on the 
ground some inches deep in dust. 

The wind at this season (June) was changeable, 
and strong blasts from the south were the harbingers 
of the approaching rainy season. We had no time 
to lose, and we accordingly arranged to start. I dis¬ 
charged my dirty cook, and engaged a man who was 
brought by a coffee-house keeper, by whom he was 
highly recommended; but, as a precaution against 
deception, I led him before the Mudir or Governor, to 
be registered before our departure. To my astonish¬ 
ment, and to his infinite disgust, he was immediately 
recognised as an old offender, who had formerly been 
imprisoned for theft! The Governor, to prove his 
friendship, and his interest in my welfare, immedi¬ 
ately sent the police to capture the coffee-house keeper 
who had recommended the cook. No sooner was the 
unlucky surety brought to the Divan, than he was 
condemned to receive 200 lashes for having given a 
false character. The sentence was literally carried out 
in spite of my remonstrance, and the police were 


CHAP. I.] 


SAVE ME FROM MY FRIENDS. 


25 


ordered to make the case public to prevent a recur¬ 
rence. The Governor assured me that as I held a 
firman from the Viceroy he could not do otherwise, 
and that I must believe him to be my truest friend. 
“ Save me from my friends,” was an adage quickly 
proved. I could not procure a cook, neither any’ 
other attendants, as every one was afraid to guarantee 
a character, lest he might come in for his share of the 
200 lashes! 

The Governor came to my rescue, and sent immedi¬ 
ately the promised Turkish soldiers, who were to act 
in the double capacity of escort and servants. They 
were men of totally opposite characters. Hadji 
Aclimet was a hardy, powerful, dare-devil-looking 
Turk, while Hadji Velli was the perfection of polite¬ 
ness, and as gentle as a lamb. My new allies pro¬ 
cured me three donkeys in addition to the necessary 
baggage camels, and we started from the pleasant 
garden of Halleem Eifendi on the evening of the 
10th of June for the junction of the Atbara river 
with the Nile. 


CHAPTER IT. 


“ ’Mongst tliem were several Englishmen of pith, 

Sixteen named Thompson and nineteen named Smith.” 

Don Juan, 

Mahomet, Aclimet, and Ali, are equivalent to Smith, 
Brown, and Thompson. Accordingly, of my few 
attendants, my dragoman was Mahomet, and my 
principal guide was Aclimet ; and subsequently I 
had a number of Alis. Mahomet was a regular Cairo 
dragoman, a native of Dongola, almost black, but 
exceedingly tenacious regarding his shade of colour, 
which he declared to be light brown. He spoke very 
bad English, was excessively conceited, and irascible 
to a degree. No pasha was so bumptious or over¬ 
bearing to his inferiors, but to me and to his mistress 
while in Cairo he had the gentleness of the dove, and 
I had engaged him at 5l. per month to accompany 
me to the White Nile. Men change with circum¬ 
stances ; climate affects the health and temper; the 
sleek and well-fed dog is amiable, but he would be 
vicious when thin and hungry ; the man in luxury 
and the man in need are not equally angelic. Now 
Mahomet was one of those dragomen who are accus¬ 
tomed to the civilized expeditions of the British 


CHAP. IT.] 


THE CAIRO DRAGOMAN. 


27 


tourist to the first or second cataract, in a Nile boat 
replete with conveniences and luxuries, upon which 
the dragoman is monarch supreme, a whale among 
the minnows, who rules the vessel, purchases daily a 
host of unnecessary supplies, upon which he clears his 
profit, until he returns to Cairo with his pockets filled 
sufficiently to support him until the following Nile 
season. The short three months’ harvest, from No¬ 
vember until February, fills his granary for the year. 
Under such circumstances the temper should be 
angelic. But times had changed : the luxurious 
Mahomet had left the comfortable Nile boat at 
Korosko, and he had crossed the burning desert upon 
a jolting camel; he had left the well-knowm route 
where the dragoman was supreme, and he found 
himself among people who treated him in the light of 
a common servant. “ A change came o’er the spirit 
of his dream Mahomet was no longer a great man, 
and his temper changed with circumstances; in fact, 
Mahomet became unbearable, and still he was abso¬ 
lutely necessary, as he was the tongue of the expedi¬ 
tion until we should accomplish Arabic. To him 
the very idea of exploration was an absurdity ; he had 
never believed in it from the first, and he now became 
impressed with the fact that he was positively com¬ 
mitted to an undertaking that would end most likely 
in his death, if not in terrible difficulties; he deter¬ 
mined, under the circumstances, to make himself as 
disagreeable as possible to all parties. With this 
amiable resolution Mahomet adopted a physical in- 


28 


MAHOMET. 


[chap. II. 


firmity in the shape of deafness ; in reality, no one 
was more acute in hearing, blit as there are no bells 
where there are no houses, he of course could not 
answer such a summons, and he was compelled to 
attend to the call of his own name—“ Mahomet! 
Mahomet! ” No reply, although the individual was 
sitting within a few feet, apparently absorbed in the 
contemplation of his own boots. “ Mahomet! ” with 
an additional emphasis upon the second syllable. 
Again no response. “ Mahomet, you rascal, why 
don’t you answer ? ” This energetic address would 
effect a change in his position ; the mild and lamb¬ 
like dragoman of Cairo would suddenly start from the 
ground, tear his own hair from his head in handfuls, 
and shout, “ Mahomet! Mahomet! Mahomet! always 
Mahomet! D —n Mahomet! I wish he were dead, or 
back in Cairo, this brute Mahomet!” The irascible 
dragoman would then beat his own head unmercifully 
with his fists, in a paroxysm of rage. 

To comfort him I could only exclaim, “ Well done, 
Mahomet! thrash him; pummel him well; punch 
his head; you know him best; he deserves it; don’t 
spare him! ” This advice, acting upon the natural 
perversity of his disposition, generally soothed him, 
and he ceased punching his head. This man was 
entirely out of his place, if not out of his mind, at 
certain moments, and having upon one occasion 
smashed a basin by throwing it in the face of the 
cook, and upon another occasion narrowly escaped 
homicide, by throwing an axe at a man’s head, which 


chap, ii.] MAHOMET FORSAKES HIS PISTOLS . 29 

missed by an inch, he became a notorious character 
in the little expedition. 

We left Berber in the evening at sunset; we were 
mounted upon donkeys, while our Turkish attendants 
rode upon excellent dromedaries that belonged to their 
regiment of irregular cavalry. As usual, when ready 
to start, Mahomet was the last; he had piled a huge 
mass of bags and various luggage upon his donkey, 
that almost obscured the animal, and he sat mounted 
upon this pinnacle dressed in gorgeous clothes, with a 
brace of handsome pistols in his belt, and his gun 
slung across his shoulders. Upon my remonstrating 
with him upon the cruelty of thus overloading the 
donkey, he flew into a fit of rage, and dismounting 
immediately, he drew his pistols from his belt and 
dashed them upon the ground ; his gun shared the 
same fate, and leaving his weapons upon the sand, he 
sullenly walked behind his donkey, which he drove 
forward with the caravan. 

We pushed forward at the usual rapid amble of the 
donkeys, and accompanied by Hadji Achmet upon 
his dromedary, with the coffee-pot, &c. and a large 
Persian rug slung behind the saddle, we quickly 
distanced the slower caravan under the charge of 
Hadji Yelli and the sullen Mahomet. 

There was no difficulty in the route, as the sterile 
desert of sand and pebbles was bounded by a fringe of 
bush and mimosa that marked the course of the Nile 
to which our way lay parallel. There was no object to 
attract particular attention, and no sound but that of 


30 . TEE ROUTE TO THE ATBJRA. [chap. ii. 

the bleating goats driven homeward by the Arab boys, 
and the sharp cry of the desert sand grouse as they 
arrived in flocks to drink in the welcome river. The 
flight of these birds is extremely rapid, and is more 
like that of the pigeon than the grouse ; they inhabit 
the desert, but they travel great distances both night 
and morning to water, as they invariably drink twice 
a day. As they approach the river they utter the cry 
“ Cliuckow, chuckow,” in a loud clear note, and im¬ 
mediately after drinking they return upon their long 
flight to the desert. There are several varieties of the 
sand grouse. I have met with three, but they are 
dry, tough, and worthless as game. 

We slept in the desert about five miles from 
Berber, and on the following day, after a scorching 
march of about twenty miles, we arrived at the junc¬ 
tion of the Atbara river with the Nile. Throughout 
the route the barren sand stretched to the horizon on 
the left, while on the right, within a mile of the Nile, 
the soil was sufficiently rich to support a certain 
amount of vegetation—chiefly dwarf mimosas and the 
Asclepias gigantea. The latter I had frequently seen 
in Ceylon, where it is used medicinally by the native 
doctors ; but here it was ignored, except for the pro¬ 
duce of a beautiful silky down which is used for 
stuffing cushions and pillows. This vegetable silk is 
contained in a soft pod or bladder about the size of an 
orange. Both the leaves and the stem of this plant 
emit a highly poisonous milk, that exudes from the 
bark when cut or bruised ; the least drop of this will 


.chap, ii.] THE DRY BED OF THE RIVER . 31 

cause total blindness, if in contact with* tlie eye. I 
have seen several instances of acute ophthalmia that 
have terminated in loss of sight from the accidental 
rubbing of the eye with the hand when engaged in 
cutting firewood from the asclepias. The wood is 
extremely light, and is frequently tied into faggots 
and used by the Arabs as a support while swimming, 
in lieu of cork. Although the poisonous qualities of 
the plant cause it to be shunned by all other animals, 
it is nevertheless greedily devoured by goats, who eat 
it unharmed. 

It was about two hours after sunset when we 
arrived at the steep bank of the Atbara river. Push¬ 
ing through the fringe of young dome palms that 
formed a thick covert upon the margin, we cautiously 
descended the bank for about twenty-five feet, as the 
bright glare of the river s bed deceived me by the 
resemblance to water. We found a broad surface of 
white sand, which at that season formed the dry bed 
of the river. Crossing this arid bottom of about 400 
yards in width, we unsaddled on the opposite side, 
by a bed of water melons planted near a small pool of 
water. A few of these we chopped in pieces for our 
tired donkeys, and we shared in the cool and welcome 
luxury ourselves that was most refreshing after the 
fatigue of the day s journey. Long before our camels 
arrived, we had drunk our coffee and were sound 
asleep upon the sandy bed of the Atbara. 

At daybreak on the following morning, while 
the camels were being loaded, I strolled to a small 


32 


THE HOME PALM. 


[chap. II. 


pool in the sand, tempted by a couple of wild geese ; 
these were sufficiently unsophisticated as to allow me 
to approach within shot, and I bagged them both, 
and secured our breakfast; they were the common 
Egyptian geese, which are not very delicate eating. 
The donkeys being saddled, we at once started with 
our attendant, Hadji Achmet, at about five miles per 
hour, in advance of our slower caravan. The route 
was upon the rivers margin, due east, through a sandy 
copse of thorny mimosas which fringed the river s 
course for about a quarter of a mile on either side ; 
beyond this all was desert. 

The Atbara had a curious appearance; in no 
part was it less than 400 yards in width, while in 
many places this breadth was much exceeded. The 
banks were from twenty-five to thirty feet deep : 
these had evidently been overflowed during floods, 
but at the present time the river was dead; not only 
partially dry, but so glaring was the sandy bed, that 
the reflection of the sun was almost unbearable. 
Great numbers of the dome palm ( Hyplicene The - 
baica, Mart.) grew upon the banks ; these trees are of 
great service to the Arab tribes, who at this season of 
drought forsake the deserts and flock upon the margin 
of the Atbara. The leaves of the dome supply them 
with excellent material for mats and ropes, while the 
fruit is used both for man and beast. The dome 
palm resembles the palmyra in the form and texture 
of its fan-shaped leaves, but there is a distinguishing 
peculiarity in the growth : instead of the straight 


chap, ii.] PREPARATION OF THE FRUIT. 33 

single stem of the palmyra, the dome palm spreads 
into branches, each of which invariably represents the 
letter Y. The fruit grows in dense clusters, num¬ 
bering several hundred, of the size of a small orange, 
but of an irregular oval shape ; these are of a rich 
brown colour, and bear a natural polish as though 
varnished. So hard is the fruit and uninviting to 
the teeth, that a deal board would be equally prac¬ 
ticable for mastication ; the Arabs pound them be¬ 
tween stones, by which rough process they detach 
the edible portion in the form of a resinous powder. 
The rind of the nut which produces this powder is 
about a quarter of an inch thick ; this coating 
covers a strong shell which contains a nut of vege¬ 
table ivory, a little larger than a full-sized walnut. 

When the resinous powder is detached, it is either 
eaten raw, or it is boiled into a delicious porridge, 
with milk ; this has a strong flavour of gingerbread. 

The vegetable ivory nuts are then soaked in water 
for about twenty-four hours, after which, they are 
heaped in large piles upon a fire until nearly dry, 
and thoroughly steamed; this process renders them 
sufficiently tractable to be reduced by pounding in a 
heavy mortar. Thus broken into small pieces they 
somewhat resemble half-roasted chestnuts, and in this 
state they form excellent food for cattle. The useful 
dome palm is the chief support of the desert Arabs 
when in times of drought and scarcity the supply of 
corn has failed. At this season (June) there was not 
a blade of even the withered grass of the desert oases. 


34 


POOLS OF THE ATBARA. 


[chap. II. 


Our donkeys lived exclusively upon the dhurra 
(>Sorghum Egyptictca) that we carried with us, and 
the camels required a daily supply of corn in 
addition to the dry twigs and bushes that formed 
their dusty food. The margin of the river was 
miserable and uninviting ; the trees and bushes were 
entirely leafless from the intense heat, as are the 
trees in England during winter. The only shade 
was afforded by the evergreen dome palms ; never¬ 
theless, the Arabs occupied the banks at intervals 
of three or four miles, wherever a pool of water in 
some deep bend of the dried river s bed offered an 
attraction; in such places were Arab villages or 
camps, of the usual mat tents formed of the dome 
palm leaves. 

Many pools were of considerable size and of 
great depth. In flood-time a tremendous torrent 
sweeps down the course of the Atbara, and the 
sudden bends of the river are hollowed out by the 
force of the stream to a depth of twenty or thirty 
feet below the level of the bed. Accordingly, these 
holes become reservoirs of water when the river is 
otherwise exhausted. In such asylums all the usual 
inhabitants of this large river are crowded together 
in a comparatively narrow space. Although these 
pools vary in size, from only a few hundred yards 
to a mile in length, they are positively full of life; 
huge fish, crocodiles of immense size, turtles, and oc¬ 
casionally hippopotami, consort together in close and 
unwished-for proximity. The animals of the desert_ 


CIIAP. II.] 


COLLECTION OF BIRDS . 


35 


gazelles, liyenas, and wild asses—are compelled to 
resort to these crowded drinking-places, occupied by 
the flocks of the Arabs, equally with the timid 
beasts of the chase. The birds that during the 
cooler months would wander free throughout the 
country, are now collected in vast numbers along the 
margin of the exhausted river; innumerable doves, 
varying in species, throng the trees and seek the 
shade of the dome palms; thousands of desert grouse 
arrive morning and evening to drink and to depart; 
while birds in multitudes, of lovely plumage, escape 
from the burning desert, and colonize the poor but 
welcome bushes that fringe the Atbara river. 

The heat was intense. As we travelled along the 
margin of the Atbara, and felt with the suffering 
animals the exhaustion of the climate, I acknow¬ 
ledged the grandeur of the Nile that could overcome 
the absorption of such thirsty sands, and the evapora¬ 
tion caused by the burning atmosphere of Nubia. 
For nearly 1,200 miles from the junction of the 
Atbara with the parent stream to the Mediterranean, 
not one streamlet joined the mysterious river, neither 
one drop of rain ruffled its waters, unless a rare 
thunder-shower, as a curious phenomenon, startled 
the Arabs as they travelled along the desert. 
Nevertheless the Nile overcame its enemies, while 
the Atbara shrank to a skeleton, bare and exhausted, 
reduced to a few pools that lay like blotches along 
the broad surface of glowing sand. 

Notwithstanding the overpowering sun, there 
d 2 


36 


CHARMS OF THE DESERT 


[chap. II. 


were certain advantages to the traveller at this 
season ; it was unnecessary to carry a large supply of 
water, as it could he obtained at intervals of a few 
miles. There was an * indescribable delight in the 
cool night, when, in the perfect certainty of fine 
weather, we could rest in the open air with the clear 
bright starlit sky above us. There were no mos¬ 
quitoes, neither were there any of the insect plagues 
of the tropics ; the air was too dry for the gnat 
tribe, and the moment of sunset was the signal for 
perfect enjoyment, free from the usual drawbacks of 
African travel. As the rivers pools were the only 
drinking places for birds and game, the gun supplied 
not only my own party, but I had much to give 
away to the Arabs in exchange for goat's milk, the 
meal of the dome nuts, &c. Gazelles were exceedingly 
numerous, but shy, and so difficult to approach that 
they required most careful stalking. At this season 
of intense heat they drank twice a day—at about an 
hour after sunrise, and half an hour before sunset. 

The great comfort of travelling along the bank 
of the river in a desert country is the perfect free¬ 
dom, as a'continual supply of water enables the ex¬ 
plorer to rest at his leisure in any attractive spot 
where game is plentiful, or where the natural 
features of the country invite investigation. We 
accordingly halted, after some days' journey, at a 
spot named Collodabad, where an angle of the river 
had left a deep pool of about a mile in length: 
this was the largest sheet of water that we had 


•chap, ii.] SUFFERING OF MEN AND BEASTS. 37 

seen throughout the course of the Atbara. A 
number of Arabs had congregated at this spot with 
their flocks and herds ; the total absence of verdure 
had reduced the animals to extreme leanness, as the 
goats gathered their scanty sustenance from the 
seed-pods of the mimosas, which were shaken down 
to the expectant flocks by the Arab boys, with 
long hooked poles. These seeds were extremely 
oily, and resembled linseed, but the rank flavour 
was disagreeable and acrid. 

This spot was seven days' march from the Nile 
junction, or about 160 miles. The journey had been 
extremely monotonous, as there had been no change 
in the scenery; it was the interminable desert, with 
the solitary streak of vegetation in the belt of 
mimosas and dome palms, about a mile and a half 
in width, that marked the course of the river. I 
had daily shot gazelles, geese, pigeons, desert grouse, 
&c. but no larger game. I was informed that at 
this spot, Collodabad, I should be introduced for the 
first time to the hippopotamus. 

Owing to the total absence of nourishing food, 
the cattle produced a scanty supply of milk; thus 
the Arabs, who depended chiefly upon their flocks 
for their subsistence, were in great distress, and men 
and beasts mutually suffered extreme hardship. The 
Arabs that occupy the desert north of the Atbara 
are the Bishareens; it was among a large concourse 
of these people that we pitched our tents on the 
banks of the river at Collodabad. 


38 


COLLODABAD . 


[chap. II. 


This being the principal watering-place along the 
deserted bed of the Atbara, the neighbourhood 
literally swarmed with doves, sand grouse, and 
other birds, in addition to many geese and pelicans. 

Early in the morning I procured an Arab guide 
to search for the reported hippopotami. My tents 
were among a grove of dome palms on the margin 
of the river; thus I had a clear view of the bed for 
a distance of about half a mile on either side. This 
portion of the Atbara was about 500 yards in 
width, the banks were about thirty feet perpendi¬ 
cular depth; and the bend of the river had caused 
the formation of the deep hollow on the opposite 
side, which now formed the pool, while every other 
part was dry. This pool occupied about one-third 
the breadth of the river, bounded by the sand upon 
one side, and by a perpendicular cliff upon the 
other, upon which grew a fringe of green bushes 
similar to willows. These were the only succulent 
leaves that I had seen since I left Berber. 

We descended the steep sandy bank in a spot 
that the Arabs had broken down to reach the water, 
and, after trudging across about 400 yards of deep 
sand, we reached the extreme and narrowest end of 
the pool; here for the first time I saw the peculiar 
four-toed print of the hippopotamus’s foot. A bed 
of melons had been planted here by the Arabs in 
the moist sand near the water, but the fruit had 
been entirely robbed by the hippopotami. A melon 
is exactly adapted for the mouth of this animal, as 


chap, ii.] HIPPOPOTAMUS KILLS THE ARAB. 39 

lie could crunch, the largest at one squeeze, and 
revel in the juice. Not contented with the simple 
fruits of the garden, a large hull hippopotamus had 
recently killed the proprietor. The Arab wished to 
drive it from his plantation, but was immediately 
attacked by the hippo, who caught him in its mouth 
and killed him by one crunch. This little incident 
had rendered the hippo exceedingly daring, and it 
had upon several occasions charged out of the water, 
when the people had driven their goats to drink; 
therefore it would be the more satisfactory to obtain 
a shot, and to supply the hungry Arabs with meat 
at the expense of their enemy. 

At this early hour, 6 A.M., no one had descended to 
the pool, thus all the tracks upon the margin were 
fresh and undisturbed : there were the huge marks of 
crocodiles that had recently returned to the water, 
while many of great size were still lying upon the 
sand in the distance: these slowly crept into the pool 
as we approached. The Arabs had dug small holes in 
the sand within a few yards of the water : these were 
the artificial drinking-places for their goats and sheep, 
that would have been snapped up by the crocodiles 
had they ventured to drink in the pool of crowded 
monsters. I walked for about a mile and a half 
along the sand without seeing a sign of hippo¬ 
potami, except their numerous tracks upon the mar¬ 
gin. There was no wind, and the surface of the 
water was unruffled; thus I could see every creature 
that rose in the pool either to breathe or to bask 


40 DARING FEAT OF THE FISH-EAGLE . [chap. ii. 

ill the morning sunshine. The number and size of 
the fish, turtles, and crocodiles were extraordinary ; 
many beautiful gazelles approached from all sides 
for their morning draught ; wild geese, generally 
in pairs, disturbed the wary crocodiles by their 
cry of alarm as we drew near, and the desert 
grouse in flocks of many thousands had gathered 
together, and were circling in a rapid flight above 
the water, wishing, but afraid, to descend and drink. 
Having a shot gun with me I fired and killed six 
at one discharge, but one of the wounded birds 
having fallen into the water at a distance of about 

o 

120 yards, it was immediately seized by a white- 
throated fish - eagle, which perched upon a tree, 
swooped down upon the bird, utterly disregarding 
the report of the gun. The Bishareen Arabs have 
no fire-arms, thus the sound of a gun was un¬ 
known to the game of the desert. 

I had killed several wild geese for breakfast in 
the absence of the hippopotami, when I suddenly 
heard the peculiar loud snorting neigh of these 
animals in my rear; we had passed them unper- 
ceived. as they had been beneath the surface. After 
a quick walk of about half a mile, during which 
time the cry of the hippos had been several times 
repeated, I observed six of these curious animals 
standing in the water about shoulder-deep. There 
was no cover, therefore I could only advance upon 
the sand without a chance of stalking them ; this 
caused them to retreat to deeper water, but upon 


CHAP. II.] 


HIPPOPOTAMUS SHOOTING. 


41 


my arrival within about eighty yards, they raised 
their heads well up, and snorted an impudent 
challenge. I had my old Ceylon No. 10 double 
rifle, and, taking a steady aim at the temple of 
one that appeared to be the largest, the ball cracked 
loudly upon the skull. Never had there been 
such a commotion in the pool as now! At the 
report of the rifle, five heads sank and disappeared 
like stones, but the sixth hippo leaped half out of 
the water, and, falling backwards, commenced a series 
of violent struggles : now upon its back ; then upon 
one side, with all four legs frantically paddling, and 
raising a cloud of spray and foam; then waltzing 
round and round with its huge jaws wide open, 
raising a swell in the hitherto calm surface of the 
water. A quick shot with the left-hand barrel 
produced no effect, as the movements of the animal 
were too rapid to allow a steady aim at the fore¬ 
head ; I accordingly took my trusty little Fletcher* 
double rifle No. 24, and, running knee-deep into 
the water to obtain a close shot, I fired exactly 
between the eyes, near the crown of the head. 
At the report of the little Fletcher the hippo dis¬ 
appeared ; the tiny waves raised by the commotion 
broke upon the sand, but the game was gone. 

This being my first vis-a-vis with a hippo, I 

* This excellent and handy rifle was made by Thomas Fletcher, 
of Gloucester, and accompanied me like a faithful dog throughout 
my journey of nearly five years to the Albert IFyanza, and re¬ 
turned with me to England as good as new. 


42 


HIPPOPOTAMI BAGGED. 


[chap. II. 


was not certain wlietlier I could claim the victory ; 
he was gone, but where ? However, while I was 
speculating upon the case, I heard a tremendous 
rush of water, and I saw five hippopotami tearing 
along in full trot through a portion of the pool 
that was not deep enough to cover them above the 
shoulder; this was the affair of about half a minute, 
as they quickly reached deep water, and disappeared 
at about a hundred and fifty yards distance. 

The fact of five hippos in retreat after I had 
counted six in the onset was conclusive that my 
waltzing friend was either dead or disabled; I ac¬ 
cordingly lost no time in following the direction of 
the herd. Hardly had I arrived at the spot where 
they had disappeared, when first one and then 
another head popped up and again sank, until one 
more hardy than the rest, ventured to appear within 
fifty yards, and to bellow as before. Once more 
the Ho. 10 crashed through his head, and again 
the waltzing and struggling commenced like the 
paddling of a steamer: this time, however, the 
stunned hippo in its convulsive efforts came so close 
to the shore that I killed it directly in shallow 
water, by a forehead shot with the little Fletcher. 
I concluded from this result that my first hippo 
must also be lying dead in deep water. 

The Arabs, having heard the shots fired, had begun 
to gather towards the spot, and, upon my * men 
shouting that a hippo was killed, crowds came run¬ 
ning to the place with their knives and ropes, while 


CHAr. II.] 


DELIGHT OF TI1E ARABS. 


43 


others returned to their encampment to fetch camels 
and mat bags to convey the flesh. In half an hour 
at least three hundred Arabs were on the spot; the 
hippo had been hauled to shore by ropes, and, by the 
united efforts of the crowd, the heavy carcase had 
been robed to the edge of the water. Here the attack 
commenced ; no pack of hungry hyaenas could have 
been more savage. I gave them permission to take 
the flesh, and in an instant a hundred knives were 
at work : they fought over the spoil like wolves. 
No sooner was the carcase flayed, than the struggle 
commenced for the meat; the people were a mass 
of blood, as some stood thigh-deep in the reeking 
intestines wrestling for the fat, while many hacked 
at each others hands for coveted portions that were 
striven for as a bonne bouche. I left the savage 
crowd in their ferocious enjoyment of flesh and blood, 
and I returned to camp for breakfast, my Turk, Hadji 
Achmet, carrying some hippopotamus steaks. 

That morning my wife and I breakfasted upon 
our first hippo, an animal that was destined to be 
our general food throughout our journey among the 
Abyssinian tributaries of the Nile. After breakfast 
we strolled down to the pool to search for the 
hippopotamus No. 1. This we at once found dead, 
as it had risen to the surface, and was floating 
like the back of a turtle a few inches above the 
water. The Arabs had been so intent upon the 
division of their spoil that they had not observed 
their new prize; accordingly, upon the signal being 


44 


FISHING . 


[chap. 11. 


given, a general rush took place, and in half an hour 
a similar scene was enacted to that of hippo No. 2. 

The entire Arab camp was in commotion and 
full of joy at this unlooked-for arrival of flesh. 
Camels laden with meat and hide toiled along the 
sandy bed of the river; the women raised their long 
and shrill cry of delight; and we were looked upon 
as general benefactors for having brought them a 
supply of good food in this season of distress. 

In the afternoon I arranged my tackle, and 
strolled down to the pool to fish. There was a 
difficulty in procuring bait; a worm was never 
heard of in the burning deserts of Nubia, neither 
had I a net to catch small fish; I was, therefore, 
obliged to bait with pieces of hippopotamus. 
Fishing in such a pool as that of the Atbara was 
sufficiently exciting, as it was impossible to specu¬ 
late upon what creature might accept the invita¬ 
tion; but the Arabs who accompanied me, were 
particular in guarding me against the position I had 
taken under a willow-bush close to the water, as 
they explained, that most probably a crocodile would 
take me instead of the bait; they declared that 
accidents had frequently happened when people had 
sat upon the bank either to drink with their hands, 
or even while watching their goats. I accordingly 
fished at a few feet distant from the margin, and 
presently I had a bite; I landed a species of perch 
about two pounds weight; this was the “boulti,” 
one of the best Nile fish mentioned by the traveller 


CHAP. II.] 


CATCH A TARTAR. 


43 


Bruce. In a short time I had caught a respectable 
dish of fish, but hitherto no monster had paid me 
the slightest attention; accordingly I changed my 
bait, and upon a powerful hook, fitted upon treble- 
twisted wire, I fastened an enticing strip of a boulti. 
The bait was about four ounces, and glistened like 
silver; the water was tolerably clear, but not too 
bright, and with such an attraction I expected some¬ 
thing heavy. My float was a large-sized pike-float 
for live bait, and this civilized sign had been only 
a few minutes in the wild waters of the Atbara, 
when, bob! and away it went! I had a very large 
reel, with nearly three hundred yards of line that 
had been specially made for monsters; down went 
the top of my rod as though a grindstone was sus¬ 
pended on it, and, as I recovered its position, away 
went the line, and the reel revolved, not with the 
sudden dash of a spirited fish, but with the steady 
determined pull of a trotting horse. What on 

earth have I got hold of? In a few minutes about 
a hundred yards of line were out, and as the crea¬ 
ture was steadily, but slowly, travelling down the 
centre of the channel, I determined to cry “halt!” 
if possible, as my tackle was extremely strong, and 
my rod was a single bamboo. Accordingly, I put 
on a powerful strain, which was replied to by a 
sullen tug, a shake, and again my rod was pulled 
suddenly down to the water s edge. At length, 

after the roughest handling, I began to reel in 

slack line, as my unknown friend had doubled 


46 


LOSE MY TURTLE SOUP. 


[chap. II. 


in upon me, and upon once more putting severe 
pressure upon him or her, as it might he, I per¬ 
ceived a great swirl in the water about twenty 
yards from the rod. The tackle would bear any¬ 
thing, and I strained so heavily upon my adver¬ 
sary that I soon reduced our distance; but the water 
was exceedingly deep, the bank precipitous, and he 
was still invisible. At length, after much tugging 
and counter-tugging, he began to show; eagerly 
I gazed into the water to examine my new ac¬ 
quaintance, when I made out something below, in 
shape between a coach-wheel and a sponging-bath ; 
in a few more moments I brought to the surface 
an enormous turtle, well hooked. I felt like the 
old lady who won an elephant in a lottery : that 
I had him was certain, but what was I to do with 
my prize ? It was at the least a hundred pounds’ 
weight, and the bank was steep and covered with 
bushes; thus it was impossible to land the monster, 
that now tugged and dived with the determination 
of the grindstone that his first pull had suggested. 
Once I attempted the gaff, but the trusty weapon 
that had landed many a fish in Scotland broke in 
the hard shell of the turtle, and I was helpless. 
My Arab now came to my assistance, and at once 
terminated the struggle. Seizing the line 'with both 
hands, utterly regardless of all remonstrance (which, 
being in English, he did not understand), he quickly 
hauled our turtle to the surface, and held it, strug¬ 
gling and gnashing its jaws, close to the steep bank. 


CHAP. II.] 


GAZELLE SHOOTLNG. 


47 


In a few moments the line slackened, and the turtle 
disappeared. The fight was over! The sharp horny 
jaws had bitten through treble-twisted brass wire 
as clean as though cut by shears. My visions of 
turtle soup had faded. 

The heavy fish were not in the humour to take, I 
therefore shot one with a rifle as it came to the surface 
to blow, and, the water in this spot being shallow, we 
brought it to shore; it was a species of carp, between 
thirty and forty pounds; the scales were rather larger 
than a crown piece, and so hard that they would have 
been difficult to pierce with a harpoon. It proved to 
be useless for the table, being of an oily nature that 
was only acceptable to the Arabs. 

In the evening I went out stalking in the desert, 
and returned with five fine buck gazelles. These 
beautiful creatures so exactly resemble the colour of 
the sandy deserts which they inhabit, that they are 
most difficult to distinguish, and their extreme shy¬ 
ness renders stalking upon foot very uncertain. I 
accordingly employed an Arab to lead a camel, under 
cover of which I could generally manage to approach 
within a hundred yards. A buck gazelle weighs from 
sixty to seventy pounds, and is the perfection of mus¬ 
cular development. No person who has seen the 
gazelles in confinement in a temperate climate can 
form an idea of the beauty of the animal in its native 
desert. Born in the scorching sun, nursed on the 
burning sand of the treeless and shadowless wilder¬ 
ness, the gazelle is among the antelope tribe as the 


48 


THE SPEED OF THE GAZELLE. 


[chap it. 


Arab horse is among its brethren, the high-bred and 
superlative beauty of the race. The skin is as sleek 
as satin, of a colour difficult to describe, as it varies 
between the lightest mauve and yellowish brown ; the 
belly is snow-white; the legs, from the knee down¬ 
wards, are also white, and are as fine as though carved 
from ivory; the hoof is beautifully shaped, and tapers 
to a sharp point; the head of the buck is ornamented 
by gracefully-curved annulated horns, perfectly black, 
and generally from nine to twelve inches long in the 
bend; the eye is the well-known perfection—the full, 
large, soft, and jet-black eye of the gazelle. Although 
the desert appears incapable of supporting animal life, 
there are in the undulating surface numerous shallow 
sandy ravines, in which are tufts of a herbage so 
coarse that, as a source of nourishment, it would be 
valueless to a domestic animal: nevertheless, upon this 
dry and wiry substance the delicate gazelles subsist; 
and, although they never fatten, they are exceedingly 
fleshy and in excellent condition. Entirely free 
from fat, and nevertheless a mass of muscle and 
sinew, the gazelle is the fastest of the antelope tribe. 
Proud of its strength, and confident in its agility, it 
will generallyJbound perpendicularly four or five feet 
from the ground several times before it starts at full 
speed, as though to test the quality of its sinews 
before the race. The Arabs course them with grey¬ 
hounds, and sometimes they are caught by running 
several dogs at the same time ; but this result is from 
the folly of the gazelle, who at first distances his 


chap, ii.] PREPARATION OF WATER-SKINS. 49 

pursuers like the wind ; but, secure in its speed, it 
halts and faces the dogs, exhausting itself by bound¬ 
ing exultingly in the air : in the meantime the grey¬ 
hounds are closing up, and diminishing the chance 
of escape. As a rule, notwithstanding this absurdity 
of the gazelle, it has the best of the race, and the 
greyhounds return crestfallen and beaten. Altogether 
it is the most beautiful specimen of game that exists, 
far too lovely and harmless to be hunted and killed 
for the mere love of sport. But when dinner depends 
upon the rifle, beauty is no protection; accordingly, 
throughout our desert march we lived upon gazelles, 
and I am sorry to confess that I became very expert 
at stalking these wary little animals. The flesh, 
although tolerably good, has a slight flavour of musk ; 
this is not peculiar to the gazelle, as the odour is 
common to most of the small varieties of antelopes. 

Having a good supply of meat, all hands were 
busily engaged in cutting it into strips and drying 
it for future use; the bushes were covered with 
festoons of flesh of gazelles and hippopotami, and 
the skins of the former were prepared for making 
girbas, or water-sacks. The flaying process for this 
purpose is a delicate operation, as the knife must be 
so dexterously used that no false cut should injure the 
hide. The animal is hung up by the hind legs; an 
incision is then made along the inside of both thighs 
to the tail, and with some trouble the skin is drawn 
off the body towards the head, precisely as a stocking 
might be drawn from the leg; by this operation the 


50 


TANNING THE HIDES. 


[chap. it. 


skin forms a seamless bag, open at both ends. To 
form a girba, the skin must be buried in the earth for 
about twenty hours : it is then washed in water, and 
the hair is easily detached. Thus rendered clean, it is 
tanned by soaking for several days in a mixture of the 
bark of a mimosa and water; from this it is daily 
withdrawn, and stretched out with pegs upon the 
ground; it is then well scrubbed with a rough stone, 
and fresh mimosa bark well bruised, with water, is 
rubbed in by the friction. About four days are suf¬ 
ficient to tan the thin skin of a gazelle, which is much 
valued for its toughness and durability; the aperture 
at the hind quarters is sewn together, and the opening 
of the neck is closed, when required, by tying. A 
good water-skin should be porous, to allow the water 
to exude sufficiently to moisten the exterior, thus 
the action of the air upon the exposed surface causes 
evaporation, and imparts to the water within the 
skin a delicious coolness. The Arabs usually prepare 
their tanned skins with an empyreumatical oil made 
from a variety of substances, the best of which is that 
from the sesame grain; this has a powerful smell, and 
renders the water so disagreeable that few Europeans 
could drink it. This oil is black, and much resembles 
tar in appearance; it has the effect of preserving the 
leather, and of rendering it perfectly water-tight. In 
desert travelling each person should have his own 
private water-skin slung upon his dromedary; for this 
purpose none is so good as a small-sized gazelle skin 
that will contain about two gallons. 


CHAP. II.] 


SIIOOT A CROCODILE. 


51 


On 23d June we were nearly suffocated by a 
whirlwind that buried everything within the tents 
several inches in dust; the heat was intense; as usual 
the sky was spotless, but the simoom was more over¬ 
powering than I had yet experienced. I accordingly 
took my rifle and went down to the pool, as any 
movement, even in the burning sun, was preferable 
to inaction in that sultry heat and dust. The croco¬ 
diles had dragged the skeletons of the hippopotami 
into the water; several huge heads appeared and then 
vanished from the surface, and the ribs of the carcase 
that projected, trembled and jerked as the jaws of the 
crocodiles were at work beneath. I shot one of 
very large size through the head, but it sank to the 
bottom; I expected to find it on the following morn¬ 
ing floating upon the surface when the gas should 
have distended the body. 

I also shot a large single bull hippopotamus late in 
the evening, which was alone at the extremity of the 
pool; he sank at the forehead shot, and, as he never 
rose again, I concluded that he was dead, and that 
I should find him on the morrow with the crocodile. 
Tired with the heat, I trudged homeward over the hot 
and fatiguing sand of the river s bed. 

The cool night arrived, and at about half-past 
eight I was lying half asleep upon my bed by the 
margin of the river, when I fancied that I heard a 
rumbling like distant thunder: I had not heard such 

O 

a sound for months, but a low uninterrupted roll ap¬ 
peared to increase in volume, although far distant. 

E 2 


52 


TEE RIVER COMES DOWN. 


[chap. II. 


Hardly had I raised my head to listen more atten¬ 
tively when a confusion of voices arose from the 
Arabs’ camp, with a sound of many feet, and in a 
few minutes they rushed into my camp, shouting to 
my men in the darkness, “ El Bahr! El Bahr ! ” (the 
river ! the river!) 

We were up in an instant, and my interpreter, 
Mahomet, in a state of intense confusion, explained 
that the river was coming down, and that the sup¬ 
posed distant thunder was the roar of approaching 
water. 

Many of the people were asleep on the clean sand 
on the river’s bed; these were quickly awakened by 
the Arabs, who rushed down the steep bank to save 
the skulls of my two hippopotami that were exposed 
to dry. Hardly had they descended, when the sound 
of the river in the darkness beneath, told us that the 
water had arrived, and the men, dripping with wet, 
had just sufficient time to drag their heavy burdens 
up the bank. 

All was darkness and confusion; everybody was 
talking and no one listening, but the great event 
had occurred, the river had arrived “like a thief in 
the night.” On the morning of the 24th June, I 
stood on the banks of the noble Atbara river, at the 
break of day. The wonder of the desert! yesterday 
there was a barren sheet of glaring sand, with a fringe 
of withered bush and trees upon its borders, that cut 
the yellow expanse of desert. For days we had 
journeyed along the exhausted bed : all Nature, even 


chap, ii.] THE MIGHTY STREAM OF THE ATBARA. 53 

in Nature’s poverty, was most poor : no bush could 
boast a leaf: no tree could throw a shade : crisp 
gums crackled upon the stems of the mimosas, the 
sap dried upon the burst bark, sprung with the 
withering heat of the simoom. In one night there 
was a mysterious change—wonders of the mighty 
Nile !—an army of water was hastening to the wasted 
river: there was no drop of rain, no thunder-cloud 
on the horizon to give hope, all had been dry and 
sultry; dust and desolation yesterday, to-day a 
magnificent stream, some 500 yards in width and 
from fifteen to twenty feet in depth, flowed through 
the dreary desert! Bamboos and reeds, with trash 
of all kinds, were hurried along the muddy waters. 
Where were all the crowded inhabitants of the pool \ 
The prison doors were broken, the prisoners were 
released, and rejoiced in the mighty stream of the 
Atbara. 

The 24th June, 1861, was a memorable day. 
Although this was actually the beginning of my 
work, I felt that, by the experience of this night I 
had obtained a clue to one portion of the Nile 
mystery, and that, as “ coming events cast their 
shadows before them,” this ' sudden creation of a 
river was but the shadow of the great cause. 

The rains were pouring in Abyssinia ! these were 
sources of the Nile ! 

One of my Turks, Hadji Achmet, was ill; therefore, 
although I longed to travel, it was necessary to wait. 
I extract verbatim from my journal, 26th June:— 


51 


CHANGE IN THE SEASON. 


[chap. II. 


“ The river has still risen; the weather is cooler, and 
the withered trees and bushes are giving signs of burst¬ 
ing into leaf. This season may be termed the spring 
of this country. The frightful simoom of April, May, 
and June, burns everything as though parched by fire, 
and not even a withered leaf hangs to a bough, but 
the trees wear a wintry appearance in the midst of 
intense heat. The wild geese have paired, the birds 
are building their nests, and, although not even a drop 
of dew has fallen, all Nature seems to be aware of an 
approaching change, as the south wind blowing cool 
from the wet quarter is the harbinger of rain. Already 
some of the mimosas begin to afford a shade, under 
which the gazelles may be surely found at mid-day; 
the does are now in fawn, and the young will be 
dropped when this now withered land shall be green 
with herbage. 

“ Busy, packing for a start to-morrow; 1 send Hadji 
Yelli back to Berber in charge of the two hippos' 
heads to the care of the good old Halleem Effendi. 
No time for shooting to-day. I took out all the 
hippo's teeth, of which he possesses 40, six tusks 
and fourteen molars in each jaw. The bones of the 
hippopotamus, like those of the elephant, are solid, 
and without marrow." 


CHAPTER III. 


WILD ASSES OF THE DESERT. 

The journey along the margin of the Atbara was 
similar to the entire route from Berber, a vast desert, 
with the narrow band of trees that marked the course 
of the river; the only change was the magical growth 
of the leaves, which burst hourly from the swollen 
buds of the mimosas : this could be accounted for by 
the sudden arrival of the river, as the water percolated 
rapidly through the sand and nourished the famishing 
roots. 

The tracks of wild asses had been frequent, but 
hitherto I had not seen the animals, as their drinking- 
hour was at night, after which they travelled far into 
the desert: however, on the morning of the 29th’ 
June, shortly after the start at about 6 a.m. we per¬ 
ceived three of these beautiful creatures on our left— 
an ass, a female, and a foal. They were about half 
a mile distant when first observed, and upon our 
approach to within half that distance they halted 
and faced about; they were evidently on their return 
to the desert from the river. Those who have seen 


56 


MY FIRST AND LAST. 


[CHAr. III. 


donkeys in their civilized state have no conception of 
the beauty of the wild and original animal. Far from 
the passive and subdued appearance of the English 
ass, the animal in its native desert is the perfection of 
activity and courage; there is a high-bred tone in the 
deportment, a higli-actioned step when it trots freely 
over the rocks and sand, with the speed of a horse 
when it gallops over the boundless desert. No animal 
is more difficult of approach ; and, although they are 
frequently captured by the Arabs, those taken are 
invariably the foals, which are ridden down by fast 
dromedaries, while the mothers escape. The colour 
of the wild ass is a reddish cream, tinged with the 
shade most prevalent of the ground that it inhabits, 
thus it much resembles the sand of the desert. I 
wished to obtain a specimen, and accordingly I exerted 
my utmost knowledge of stalking to obtain a shot at 
the male. After at least an hour and a half I suc¬ 
ceeded in obtaining a long shot with a single rifle, 
which passed through the shoulder, and I secured my 
first and last donkey. It was with extreme regret 
that I saw my beautiful prize in the last gasp, and I 
resolved never to fire another shot at one of its race. 
This fine specimen was in excellent condition, although 
the miserable pasturage of the desert is confined to the 
wiry herbage already mentioned ; of this the stomach 
was full, chewed into morsels like chopped reeds. The 
height of this male ass was about 13.3 or 14 hands; 
the shoulder was far more sloping than that of the 
domestic ass, the hoofs were remarkable for their size; 


chap, in.] APPETITE FOR RAW MEAT. 5/ 

they were wide, firm, and as broad as those of a horse 
of 15 hands. I skinned this animal carefully, and the 
Arabs divided the flesh among them, while Hadji 
Achmet selected a choice piece for our own dinner. 
At the close of our march that evening, the morsel of 
wild ass was cooked in the form of “ rissolesthe 
flavour resembled beef, but it was extremely tough. 

On the following day, 30th June, we reached Goze- 
rajup, a large permanent village on the south bank of 
the river. By dead reckoning we had marched 246 
miles from Berber. This spot was therefore about 220 
miles from the junction of the Atbara with the Nile. 
Here we remained for a few days to rest the 
donkeys and to engage fresh camels. An extract from 
my journal will give a general idea of this miserable 
country:— 

“ July 3 .—I went out early to get something for 
breakfast, and shot a hare and seven pigeons. On my 
return to camp, an Arab immediately skinned the 
hare, and pulling out the liver, lungs, and kidneys, he 
ate them raw and bloody. The Arabs invariably eat 
the lungs, liver, kidneys, and the thorax of sheep, 
gazelles, &c. while they are engaged in skinning the 
beasts, after which they crack the leg bones between 
stones, and suck out the raw marrow/' 

A Bishareen Arab wears his hair in hundreds of 
minute plaits which hang down to his shoulders, sur¬ 
mounted by a circular bushy topknot upon the crown, 
about the size of a large breakfast cup, from the base 
of which the plaits descend. When in full dress the 


58 


' THE BISHAREEN ARABS. 


[chap. III. 


plaits are carefully combed out with an ivory skewer 
about eighteen inches in length; after this operation, 
the head appears like a huge black mop surmounted 
by a fellow mop of a small size. Through this mass 
of hair he carries his skewer, which is generally orna¬ 
mented, and which answers the double purpose of 
comb and general scratches 

The men have remarkably fine features, but the 
women are not generally pretty. The Bishareen is 
the largest Arab tribe of Nubia. Like all the Arabs 
of Upper Egypt they pay taxes to the Viceroy; 
these are gathered by parties of soldiers, who take 
the opportunity of visiting them during the drought, 
at which time they can be certainly found near the 
river; but at any other season it would be as easy 
to collect tribute from the gazelles of the desert as 
from the wandering Bishareens. The appearance of 
Turkish soldiers is anything but agreeable to the 
Arabs, therefore my escort of Turks was generally 
received with the “ cold shoulder ” upon our arrival 
at an Arab camp, and no supplies were forth¬ 
coming in the shape of milk, &c. until the long 
coorbatch (hippopotamus whip) of Hadji Achmet had 
cracked several times across the shoulders of the village 

o 

headman. At first this appeared to me extremely 
brutal, but I was given to understand that I was 
utterly ignorant of the Arab character, and that he 
knew best. I found by experience that Hadji Achmet 
was correct; even where milk was abundant, the Arabs 
invariably declared that they had not a drop, that the 


CHAP. III.] 


GOZERAJUP. 


59 


goats were dry, or had strayed away; and some paltry 
excuses were offered until the temper of the Turk 
became exhausted, and the coorbatch assisted in the 
argument. A magician’s rod could not have produced 
a greater miracle than the hippopotamus whip. The 
goats were no longer dry, and in a few minutes large 
gourds of milk were brought, and liberally paid for, 
while I was ridiculed by the Turk, Hadji Achmet, for 
so foolishly throwing away money to the “ Arab dogs.” 

Our route was to change. We had hitherto fol¬ 
lowed the course of the Atbara, but we were now to 
leave that river on our right, while we should travel 
S.E. about ninety miles to Cassala, the capital of 
the Taka country, on the confines of Abyssinia, the 
great depot upon that frontier for Egyptian troops, 
military stores, &c. 

Having procured fresh camels, we started on 5th 
July. This portion of the desert was rich in agates 
and numerous specimens of bloodstone. Exactly oppo¬ 
site the village of Gozerajup are curious natural land¬ 
marks,—four pyramidical hills of granite that can be 
seen from many miles’ distance in this perfectly level 
country. One of these hills is about 500 feet high, 
and is composed entirely of naked blocks of grey 
granite piled one upon the other; some .of these stand 
perpendicularly in single masses from 30 to 50 feet 
high, and from a distance might be taken for giants 
climbing the hill side. The pinnacle has a peculiar 
conical cap, which appears to have been placed there 
by design, but upon closer inspection it is found to be 


CO THE FIRST RAIN. [chap. iii. 

natural, as no stone of such immense size could have 
been placed in such a position. 

For the first two hours’ march from this landmark, 
the country was covered with scrubby bush abounding 
in gazelles and guinea-fowl. Here, for the first time, 
I saw the secretary bird, known to the Arabs as the 
“Devils horse.” A pair of these magnificent birds 
were actively employed in their useful avocation in 
hunting reptiles, which they chased with wonderful 
speed. Great numbers of wild asses passed us during 
the march towards evening; they were on their way 
from the desert to the Atbara river, some miles distant 
upon the west. Veritable thunder we now heard for 
the first time in Africa, and a cloud rose with great 
rapidity from the horizon. A cloud was a wonder that 
we had not enjoyed for months, but as this increased 
both in size and density, accompanied by a gust of 
cool wind, we were led to expect a still greater 
wonder— rain! Hardly had we halted for the night, 
when down it came in torrents, accompanied by a 
heavy thunder-storm. On the following morning, we 
experienced the disadvantage of rain; the ground v r as 
so slippery that the camels could not march, and v r e 
were obliged to defer our start until the sun had dried 
the surface. 

We had now r arrived at the most interesting point 
to an explorer. From Cairo to within a few miles 
south of Gozerajup stretched the unbroken desert 
through which we had toiled from Korosko, and 
which had so firmly impressed its dreariness upon 


CHAP. III.] 


LIMITS OF THE DESERT. 


61 


the mind that nothing but desert had been ex¬ 
pected : we had learned to be content in a world of 
hot sand, rocks, and pebbles; but we had arrived 
upon the limit; the curious landmark of Gozerajup 
was an everlasting beacon that marked the frontier 
of the Nubian desert; it was a giant warder, that 
seemed to guard the living south from the dreadful 
skeleton of nature on the north;—the desert had 
ceased! 

It was a curious and happy coincidence that our 
arrival upon the limits of the desert should have 
been celebrated by the first shower of rain : we no 
longer travelled upon sand and stones, but we stood 
upon a fertile loam, rendered soapy and adhesive by 
the recent shower. The country was utterly barren 
at that season, as the extreme heat of the sun and 
simoon perishes all vegetation so thoroughly that it 
becomes as crisp as glass; the dried grass breaks 
in the wind, and is carried away in dust, leaving 
the earth so utterly naked and bare that it is ren¬ 
dered a complete desert. 

In the rainy season, the whole of this country, 
from the south to Gozerajup, is covered with excellent 
pasturage, and, far from resembling a desert, it be¬ 
comes a mass of bright green herbage. The Arabs 
and their flocks are driven from the south by the 
flies and by the heavy rains, and Gozerajup offers a 
paradise to both men and beasts ; thousands of camels 
with their young, hundreds of thousands of goats, 
sheep, and cattle, are accompanied by the Arabs and 


62 THE HADENDOWA ARABS. [chap, iii 

tlieir families, who encamp on the happy pastures 
during the season of plenty. 

We had now passed the limits occupied by the 
Bishareens, and we had entered upon the country of 
the Hadendowa Arabs. These are an exceedingly bad 
tribe, and, together with their neighbours, the 
Hallonga Arabs, they fought determinedly against 
the Egyptians, until finally conquered during the 
reign of the famous Mehemet Ali Pasha, when the 
provinces of Nubia submitted unconditionally, and 
became a portion of Upper Egypt. 

Upon arrival at Soojalup we came upon the prin¬ 
cipal encampment of the Hadendowa during the dry 
season. Within a few miles of this spot the scene 
had changed : instead of the bare earth denuded of 
vegetation, the country was covered with jungle, 
already nearly green, while vast plains of grass, en¬ 
livened by beautiful herds of antelopes, proved not 
only the fertility of the soil, but the presence of 
moisture. Although there was no stream, nor any 
appearance of a river’s bed, Soojalup was well supplied 
with water throughout the hottest season by numerous 
wells. This spot is about forty miles distant from 
Gozerajup, and is the first watering-place upon the 
route to Cassala. As we approached the wells, we 
passed several large villages surrounded by fenced 
gardens of cotton, and tobacco, both of which throve 
exceedingly. Every village possessed a series of 
wells, with a simple contrivance for watering their 
cattle:—Adjoining the mouth of each well was a basin 


CHAP. III.] 


THE WELLS OF SOOJALUF. 


63 


formed of clay, raised sufficiently high above the 
level of the ground to prevent the animals from 
treading it while drinking. With a rope and a 
leathern bag distended by pieces of stick, the water 
was raised from the wells and emptied into the clay 
basins ; the latter were circular, about nine feet in 
diameter, and two feet deep. I measured the depth 
of some of the wells, and found a uniformity of forty 
feet. We halted at Soojalup for the night: here 
for the first time I saw the beautiful antelope known 
by the Arabs as the Ariel (Gazelle Dama). This 
is a species of gazelle, being similar in form and in 
shape of the horns, but as large as a fallow deer : 
the colour also nearly resembles that of the gazelle, 
with the exception of the rump, which is milk- 
white. 

These animals had no water nearer than the Atbara 
river, unless they could obtain a stealthy supply from 
the cattle basins of the Arabs during the night; 
they were so wild, from being constantly disturbed 
and hunted by the Arab dogs, that I found it im¬ 
possible to stalk them upon the evening of our 
arrival. The jungles literally swarmed with guinea- 
fowl—I shot nine in a few minutes, and returned 
to camp with dinner for my whole party. The only 
species of guinea-fowl that I have seen in Africa is 
that with the blue comb and wattles. These birds 
are a blessing to the traveller, as not only are 
they generally to be met with from the desert 
frontier throughout the fertile portions of the South, 


64 


ANTELOPES. 


[chap. Ill, 


but they are extremely good eating, and far supe¬ 
rior to the domestic guinea-fowl of Europe. In this 
spot, Soojalup, I could have killed any number, 
had I wished to expend my shot: but this most 
necessary ammunition required much nursing during 
a long exploration. I had a good supply, four 
hundred-weight, of the most useful sizes, No. 6 for 
general shooting, and B B. for geese, &c. ; also a bag 
of No. 10, for firing into dense flocks of small 
birds. On the following morning we left Soojalup ; 
for several miles on our route were Arab camps 
and wells, with immense herds of goats, sheep, and 
cattle. Antelopes were very numerous, and it was 
exceedingly interesting to observe the new varieties 
as we increased our distance from the north. I shot 
two from my camel (G. Dorcas ), they were about 
the size of a fine roebuck;—the horns were like 
those of the gazelle, but the animals were larger and 
darker in colour, with a distinguishing mark in a 
jet black stripe longitudinally dividing the white of 
the belly from the reddish colour of the flank. 
These antelopes were exceedingly wild, and without 
the aid of a camel it would have been impossible to 
approach them. I had exchanged my donkey for 
Hadji Achmets dromedary; thus mounted I could 
generally succeed in stalking to within ninety or 
one hundred yards, by allowing the animal to feed 
upon the various bushes, as though I had mounted 
it for the purpose of leading it to graze. This de¬ 
ceived the antelopes, and by carefully ascertaining 


chap, hi.] CAPABILITIES FOR COTTON CULTIVATION. 65 

the correct wind, I obtained several shots, some of 
which failed, owing to the unsteadiness of my steed, 
which had a strong objection to the rifle. 

The entire country from Gozerajup to Cassala is a 
dead flat, upon which there is not one tree sufficiently 
large to shade a full-sized tent : there is no real 
timber in the country, but the vast level extent of soil 
is a series of open plains and low bush of thorny 
mimosa; there is no drainage upon this perfect level, 
thus during the rainy season, the soakage actually 
melts the soil, and forms deep holes throughout the 
country, which then becomes an impracticable slough, 
bearing grass and jungle. Upon this fertile tract of 
land, cotton might be cultivated to a large extent, and 
sent to Berber, vid the Atbara, from Gozerajup, during 
the season of flood. At the present time, the growth 
is restricted to the supply required by the Arabs 
for the manufacture of their cloths. These are 
woven by themselves, the weaver sitting in a hole 
excavated in the ground before his rude loom, 
shaded by a rough thatch about ten feet square, sup¬ 
ported upon poles. There is a uniformity in dress 
throughout all the Nubian tribes of Arabs, the simple 
toga of the Romans ; this is worn in many ways, as 
occasion may suggest, very similar to the Scotch plaid. 
The quality of cotton produced is the same as that of 
Lower Egypt, and the cloths manufactured by the 
Arabs, although coarse, are remarkably soft. The toga 
or tope is generally ornamented with a few red stripes 
at either extremity, and is terminated by a fringe. 


66 


ARAB MIGRATIONS. 


[chap. III. 


As we approached within about twenty-five miles 
of Cassala, I remarked that the country on our left 
was in many places flooded; the Arabs, who had 
hitherto been encamped in this neighbourhood during 
the dry season were migrating to other localities in 
the neighbourhood of Soojalup and Gozerajup, with 
their vast herds of camels and goats. As rain had 
not fallen in sufficient quantity to account for the 
flood, I was informed that it was due to the river 
Gash, or Mareb, which, flowing from Abyssinia, 
passed beneath the walls of Cassala, and then divided 
into innumerable ramifications; it was eventually 
lost, and disappeared in the porous soil, after having 
flooded a large extent of country. This cause ac¬ 
counted for the never-failing wells of Soojalup— 
doubtless a substratum of clay prevented the total 
escape of the water, which remained at a depth of 
forty feet from the surface. The large tract of country 
thus annually flooded by the river Gash is rendered 
extremely fruitful, and is the resort of both the 
Hadendowa and the Hallonga Arabs during the dry 
season, who cultivate large quantities of dhurra, and 
other grain. Unfortunately, in these climates, fertility 
of soil is generally combined with unhealthiness, and 
the commencement of the rainy season is the signal 
for fevers and other maladies. No sooner had we 
arrived in the flooded country than my wife was 
seized with a sudden and severe attack, which neces¬ 
sitated a halt upon the march, as she could no longer 
sit upon her camel. In the evening, several hundreds 


CHAP. III.] 


THE ARAB’S PRAYER. 


67 


of Arabs arrived, and encamped around our fire. 
It was shortly after sunset, and it was interesting 
to watch the extreme rapidity with which these 
swarthy sons of the desert pitched their camp—a 
hundred fires were quickly blazing; the women pre¬ 
pared the food, children sat in clusters round the 
blaze, as all were wet from paddling through the 
puddled ground, from which they were retreating. 

No sooner was the bustle of arrangement com¬ 
pleted, than a grey old man stepped forward, and, 
responding to his call, every man of the hundreds 
present, formed in line, three or four deep. At once 
there was total silence, disturbed only by the crack¬ 
ling of the fires, or by the cry of a child; and with 
faces turned to the east, in attitudes of profound 
devotion, the wild but fervent followers of Mahomet 
repeated their evening prayer. 

The flickering red light of the fire illumined the 
bronze faces of the congregation, and as I stood before 
the front line of devotees, I took off my cap in 
respect for their faith, and at the close of their prayer 
I made my salaam to their venerable Faky (priest); 
he returned the salutation with the cold dignity of an 
Arab. In this part the coorbatch of the Turk was 
unnecessary, and we shortly obtained supplies of milk. 

I ordered the dragoman Mahomet to inform the 
Faky that I was a doctor, and that I had the best 
medicines at the service of the sick, with advice 
gratis. In a short time I had many applicants, to 
whom I served out a quantity of Holloway’s pills. 

F 2 


68 THE BARREN WOMEN. [chap. hi. 

These are most useful to an explorer, as possessing 
unmistakable purgative properties, they create an 
undeniable effect upon the patient, which satisfies 
him of their value. They are also extremely conve¬ 
nient, as they may be carried by the pound in a tin 
box, and served out in infinitesimal doses from one to 
ten at a time, according to the age of the patients. I 
had a large medicine chest, with all necessary drugs, 
but I was sorely troubled by the Arab women, many 
of whom were barren, who insisted upon my supply¬ 
ing them with some medicine that would remove 
this stigma, and render them fruitful. It was in vain 
to deny them; I therefore gave them usually a small 
dose of ipecacuanha, with the comforting word to an 
Arab, “Inshallah,” “if it please God.” At the same 
time I explained that the medicine was of little value. 

On the following morning, during the march, my 
wife had a renewal of fever. We had already passed 
a large village named Abre, and the country was a 
forest of small trees, which, being in leaf, threw a 
delicious shade. Under a tree, upon a comfortable 
bed of dry sand, we were obliged to lay her for 
several hours, until the paroxysm passed, and she 
could remount her dromedary. This she did with 
extreme difficulty, and we hurried towards Cassala, 
from which town we were only a few miles distant. 

For the last fifty or sixty miles we had seen the 
Cassala mountain—at first a blue speck above the 
horizon. It now rose in all the beauty of a smooth 
&nd bare block of granite, about 3,500 feet above the 


chap, hi.] DIFFICULTY IN FORDING TUE RIVER GASH. 69 

level of tlie country, with, the town of Cassala at the 
base, and the roaring torrent Gash flowing at our feet. 
When we reached the end of the day’s march it 
was between 5 and 6 p.m. The walled town was 
almost washed by the river, which was at least 500 
yards wide. However, our guides assured us that 
it was fordable, although dangerous, on account of 
the strength of the current. Camels are most stupid 
and nervous animals in water; that ridden by my 
wife was- fortunately better than the generality. I 
sent two Arabs, with poles, ahead of my camel, and 
carefully led the way. After considerable difficulty, 
we forded the river safely; the water was nowhere 
above four feet deep, and, in most places, it did not 
exceed three; but the great rapidity of the stream 
would have rendered it impossible for the men to 
cross without the assistance of poles. One of our 
camels lost its footing, and was carried helplessly 
down the river for some hundred yards, until it 
stranded upon a bank. 

The sun had sunk when we entered Cassala. It is 
a walled town, surrounded by a ditch and flanking 
towers, and containing about 8,000 inhabitants, ex¬ 
clusive of troops. The houses and walls were of 
unburnt brick, smeared with clay and cow-dung. As 
we rode through the dusty streets, I sent off 
Mahomet with my firman to the Mudir; and, not 
finding a suitable place inside the town, I returned 
outside the walls, where I ordered the tents to be 
pitched in a convenient spot among some wild fig- 


70 


ARRIVE AT CASSALA. 


[chap. iit. 


trees. Hardly were the tents pitched, than Mahomet 
returned, accompanied by an officer and ten soldiers 
as a guard, with a polite message from the Mudir 
or governor, who had, as usual, kissed the potent 
firman, and raised it to his forehead, with the de¬ 
claration that he was “ my servant, and that all that I 
required should be immediately attended to.” Shortly 
after, we were called upon by several Greeks, one of 
whom was the army doctor, Signor Georgis, who, 
with great kindness, offered to supply all our wants. 
My wife was dreadfully weak and exhausted, there¬ 
fore an undisturbed night’s rest was all that was 
required, with the independence of our own tent. 

Cassala is rich in hyaenas, and the night was passed 
in the discordant howling of these disgusting but 
useful animals : they are the scavengers of the country, 
devouring every species of filth, and clearing all carrion 
from the earth. Without the hyaenas and vultures, 
the neighbourhood of a Nubian village would be un¬ 
bearable ; it is the idle custom of the people to leave 
unburied all animals that die. Thus, among the 
numerous flocks and herds, the casualties would create 
a pestilence were it not for the birds and beasts of 
prey. 

On the following morning the fever had yielded to 
quinine, and we were enabled to receive a round of 
visits—the governor and suite, Elias Bey, the doctor 
and a friend, and, lastly, Malem Georgis, an elderly 
Greek merchant, who, with great hospitality, insisted 
upon our quitting the sultry tent and sharing ~h is. 


chap, hi.] HOSPITALITY OF THE GREEK MERCHANT. 71 

own roof. "We, therefore, became his guests in 
a most comfortable house for some days. Our 
Turk, Hadji Achmet, returned on his way to 
Berber; we discharged our camels, and prepared 
to start afresh from this point for the Nile tributaries 
of Abyssinia. 


CHAPTER IV. 


ROUTE FROM CASS ALA TO SOUAKIM. 

By dead reckoning, Cassala is ninety-tliree miles S.S.E. 
of Gozerajup, or about 340 miles from Berber. \Ye 
had ridden about 710 miles from Korosko, 630 miles 
of which had been through scorching deserts during 
the hottest season. We were, therefore, thankful to 
exchange the intense heat of the tent for a solid roof, 
and to rest for a short time in the picturesque country 
of Taka. 

The direct route to Cassala, the capital of Taka, 
should be from Suez to Souakim, on the Red Sea, and 
from thence, in sixteen days, by camel. Thus, were 
there a line from Suez to Souakim by steamers, similar 
to that already established to Jedda, Cassala would be 
only twenty-two days’ journey from Cairo. At pre¬ 
sent, the arrival of steamers at Souakim is entirely 
uncertain, therefore the trade of the country is para¬ 
lysed by the apathy of the Egyptian Government. 
The Abdul Azziz Company run their steamers regu¬ 
larly from Suez to Jedda; and, although they advertise 
Souakim as a port of call, there is no dependence 


chap, iv.] FACILITIES OF THE POET OF SOU AKIM. 73 

to be placed upon the announcement; therefore, all 
merchants are afraid not only of delay, but of high 
warehouse charges at Souakim. The latter port is 
only four days’ steaming from Suez, and, being the 
most central dep6t for all merchandise both to and 
from Upper Egypt, it would become a point of great 
importance were regular means of transport esta¬ 
blished. 

Cotton of excellent quality might be grown to an 
unlimited amount in the provinces of Upper Egypt, 
and could be delivered at Souakim at a trifling cost 
of transport. A large quantity of gum arabic 
is collected throughout this country, which sells in 
Cassala at 20 piastres (4s. 2 cl) the cantar of 100 lbs. 
There are three varieties, produced from various 
mimosas ; the finest quality is gathered in the pro¬ 
vince of Kordofan, but I subsequently met with large 
quantities of this species in the Base country. Senna 
grows wild in the deserts, but the low price hardly 
pays for the cost of collection. There are several 
varieties; that with extremely narrow and sharp- 
pointed leaves is preferred. It grows in sandy situa¬ 
tions where few plants would exist. The bush seldom 
-exceeds three feet in height, and is generally below 
that standard; but it is exceedingly thick, and rich 
in a pale green foliage, which is a strong temptation 
to the hungry camel. Curiously, this purgative plant 
is the animal’s bonne louche , and is considered most 
nourishing as fodder. 

The exports of the Soudan are limited to gum 


74 


FORTIFICATION OF CASSALA. 


[chap. iv. 


arabic, ivory, bides, senna, and bees’ wax; tbe latter 
is tbe produce of Abyssinia. These articles are gene¬ 
rally collected by travelling native traders, who sell 
to tbe larger merchants resident in Cassala and Khar¬ 
toum, the two principal towns of the Soudan. The 
bazaar in Cassala was poor, as the principal articles 
were those of low price, adapted to the wants of the 
Arabs, who flock to the capital as a small London, 
to make their purchases of cloths, perfumery for the 
women, copper cooking pots, &c. 

The fortifications of the town, although useless 
against cannon, are considered by the Arabs as im¬ 
pregnable. The walls are of solid mud and sun¬ 
baked bricks, carefully loop-holed for musketry, while 
a deep fosse, by which it is surrounded, is a safeguard 
against a sudden surprise. 

These engineering precautions were rendered neces¬ 
sary by the ferocity of the Arabs, who fought the 
Egyptians with great determination for some years 
before they were finally subdued. Although the 
weapons of all the Arab tribes are the simple sword 
and lance, they defended their country against the 
regular troops of Egypt until they were completely 
defeated by a scarcity of water, against which there 
could be no resistance. The Egyptians turned the 
course of the river Gash, and entirely shut off the 
supply from one portion of the country, while they 
inundated another. This was effected by an immense 
dam, formed of the stems of the dome palms, as a 
double row of piles, while the interior was rendered 


chap, iy.] CONQUEST OF NUBIA. 75 

water-tight by a lining of matting filled up with 
sand. 

Cassala was built about twenty years before I visited 
the country, after Taka bad been conquered and an¬ 
nexed. to Egypt. The general annexation of the 
Soudan and the submission of the numerous Arab 
tribes to the Viceroy have been the first steps neces¬ 
sary to the improvement of the country. Although 
the Egyptians are hard masters, and do not trouble 
themselves about the future well-being of the con¬ 
quered races, it must be remembered that prior to the 
annexation, all the tribes were at war among them¬ 
selves. There was neither government nor law; thus 
the whole country was closed to Europeans. At pre¬ 
sent, there is no more danger in travelling in Upper 
Egypt than in crossing Hyde Park after dark, provided 
the traveller be just and courteous. At the time of 
my visit to Cassala in 1861, the Arab tribes were 
separately governed by their own chiefs or sheiks, 
who were responsible to the Egyptian authorities for 
the taxes due from their people : since that period, 
the entire tribes of all denominations have been placed 
under the authority of that grand old Arab patriarch 
Achmet Abou Sinn, to be hereafter mentioned. The 
Sheik Moosa, of the Haddendowa tribe, was in prison 
during our stay in that country, for some breach of 
discipline in his dealings with the Egyptian Govern¬ 
ment. The iron hand of despotism has produced a 
marvellous change among the Arabs, who are ren¬ 
dered utterly powerless by the system of government 


76 CRUEL TAXATION. [chap. iv. 

adopted by the Egyptians; unfortunately, this iron 
age has the effect of paralysing all industry. 

The principal object of Turks and' Egyptians in 
annexation, is to increase their power of taxation by 
gaining an additional number of subjects. Thus, 
although many advantages have accrued to the Arab 
provinces of Nubia through Egyptian rule, there exists 
an amount of mistrust between the governed and the 
governing. Not only are the camels, cattle, and sheep 
subjected to a tax, but every attempt at cultivation is 
thwarted by the authorities, who impose a fine or 
tax upon the superficial area of the cultivated land. 
Thus, no one will cultivate more than is absolutely 
necessary, as he dreads the difficulties that the broad 
acres of waving crops would entail upon his family. 
The bond fide tax is a bagatelle to the amounts 
squeezed from him by the extortionate soldiery, who 
are the agents employed by the sheik ; these must 
have their share of the plunder, in excess of the 
amount to be delivered, to their employer; he, also, 
must have his plunder before he parts with the bags 
of dollars to the governor of the province. Thus the 
unfortunate cultivator is ground down; should he 
refuse to pay the necessary “ baksheesh ” or present 
to the. tax-collectors, some false charge is trumped 
up against him, and he is thrown into prison. As a 
green field is an attraction to a flight of locusts in 
their desolating voyage, so is a luxuriant farm in 
the Soudan a point for the tax-collectors of Upper 
Egypt. I have frequently ridden several days' journey 


CHAP. IV.] 


EXTREME CHEAPNESS OF CORN. 


77 


through a succession of empty villages, deserted by 
the inhabitants upon the report of the soldiers’ ap¬ 
proach ; the women and children, goats and cattle, 
camels and asses, have all been removed into the 
wilderness for refuge, while their crops of corn have 
been left standing for the plunderers, who would be 
too idle to reap and thrash the grain. 

Notwithstanding the misrule that fetters the steps 
of improvement, Nature has bestowed such great 
capabilities of production in the fertile soil of this 
country, that the yield of a small surface is more than 
sufficient for the requirements of the population, and 
actual poverty is unknown. The average price of 
dhurra is fifteen piastres per “ racliel,” or about 3s. 2d. 
for 500 lbs. upon the spot where it is grown. The 
dhurra (Sorghum andropogon) is the grain most com¬ 
monly used throughout the Soudan; there are great 
varieties of this plant, of which the most common are 
the white and the red. The land is not only favoured 
by Nature by its fertility, but the intense heat of 
summer is the laoourer’s great assistant. As before 
described, all vegetation entirely disappears in the 
glaring sun, or becomes so dry that it is swept off by 
fire; thus the soil is perfectly clean and fit for 
immediate cultivation upon the arrival of the rains. 
The .tool generally used is similar to the Dutch hoe. 
With this simple implement, the surface is scratched 
to the depth of about two inches, and the seeds of the 
dhurra are dibbled in about three feet apart, in rows 
from four to five feet in width. Two seeds are 


78 


CULTIVATION OF CEREALS. 


[chap. IV. 


dropped into each hole. A few days after the first 
shower they rise above the ground, and when about 
six inches high, the whole population turn out of their 
villages at break of day to weed the dhurra fields. 
Sown in July, it is harvested in February and March. 
Eight months are thus required for the cultivation 
of this cereal in the intense heat of Nubia. For the 
first three months the growth is extremely rapid, 
and the stem attains a height of six or seven feet. 
When at perfection on the rich soil of the Taka 
country, the plant averages a height of ten feet, the 
circumference of the stem being about four inches. 
The crown is a feather very similar to that of the 
sugar cane; the blossom falls, and the feather becomes 
a head of dhurra, weighing about two pounds. Each 
grain is about the size of hemp-seed. I took the 
trouble of counting the corns contained in an average¬ 
sized head, the result being 4,848. The process of 
harvesting and thrashing are remarkably simple, as 
the heads are simply detached from the straw and 
beaten out in piles. The dried straw is a substitute 
for sticks in forming the walls of the village huts; 
these are plastered with clay and cow-dung, which 
form the Arab’s lath and plaister. 

The millers’ work is exclusively the province of 
the women. There are no circular hand-mills, as 
among Oriental nations; but the corn is ground upon 
a simple, flat stone, of either gneiss or granite, about 
two feet in length, by fourteen inches width. The 
face of this is roughed by beating with a sharp- 


C HAP. IV.] 


ARAB BREAD. 


79 


pointed piece of harder stone, such as quartz or 
hornblende, and the grain is reduced to flour by 
great labour and repeated grinding or rubbing with 
a stone rolling-pin. The flour is mixed with water 
and allowed to ferment; it is then made into thin 
pancakes upon an earthenware flat portable hearth. 
This species of leavened bread is known to the 
Arabs as the kisra. It is not very palatable, but it 
is extremely well suited to Arab cookery, as it can be 
rolled up like a pancake and dipped in the general 
dish of meat and gravy very conveniently, in the 
absence of spoons and forks. No man will conde¬ 
scend to grind the corn, and even the Arab women 
have such an objection to this labour, that one 
of the conditions of matrimony enforced upon the 
husband, if possible, provides the wife with a slave 
woman to prepare the flour. 

Hitherto we had a large stock of biscuits, but as 
our dragoman Mahomet had, in a curious fit of 
amiability, dispensed them among the camel-drivers, 
we were now reduced to the Arab kisras. Although 
not as palatable as wheaten bread, the flour of dhurra 
is exceedingly nourishing, containing, according to 
Professor Johnstons analysis, 11^ per cent, of gluten, 
or \\ per cent, more than English wheaten flour. 
Thus men and beasts thrive, especially horses, which 
acquire an excellent condition. 

The neighbourhood of Cassala is well adapted 
for the presence of a large town and military station, 
as the fertile soil produces the necessary supplies* 


80 MILITARY POSITION OF CASSALA. [ciiap. iv. 

while the river Gash affords excellent water. In the 
rainy season this should he filtered, as it brings 
down many impurities from the torrents of Abyssinia, 
but in the heat of summer the river is entirely dry, 
and clear and wholesome water is procured from 
wells in the sandy bed. The south and south-east 
of Cassala is wild and mountainous, affording ex¬ 
cellent localities for hill stations during the un¬ 
healthy rainy season ; but such sanitary arrangements 
for the preservation of troops are about as much 
heeded by the Egyptian Government as by our own, 
and regiments are left in unwholesome climates to 
take their chance, although the means of safety are 
at hand. 

The Taka country being the extreme frontier of 
Egypt, constant raids are made by the Egyptians 
upon their neighbours—the hostile Base, through 
which country the river Gash or Mareb descends. 
I was anxious to procure all the information possible 
concerning the Base, as it would be necessary to 
traverse the greater portion in exploring the Settite 
river, which is the principal tributary of the Atbara, 
and which is in fact the main and parent stream, 
although bearing a different name. I heard but one 
opinion of the Base,—it was a wild and independent 
country, inhabited by a ferocious race, whose hand 
was against every man, and who in return were the 
enemies of all by whom they were surrounded— 
Egyptians, Abyssinians, Arabs, and Mek Nimmur ; 
nevertheless, secure in their mountainous stronghold. 


CHAP. IV.] 


THE BASE. 


81 


they defied all adversaries. The Base is a portion 
of Abyssinia, but the origin of the tribe that occupies 
this ineradicable hornet’s nest is unknown. Whether 
they are the remnant of the original Ethiopians, who 
possessed the country prior to the conquests of the 
Abyssinians, or whether they are descended from the 
woolly-haired tribes of the south banks of the Blue 
Nile, is equally a mystery; all we know is that they 
are of the same type as the inhabitants of Fazogle, 
of the upper portion of the Blue River; they are 
exceedingly black, with woolly hair, resembling in 
that respect the negro, but without the flat nose or 
prognathous jaw. No quarter is given on either 
side, should the Base meet the Arabs, with whom 
war is to the knife. In spite of the overwhelming 
superiority of their adversaries, the Base cannot be 
positively subdued ; armed with the lance as their 
only weapon, but depending upon extreme agility 
and the natural difficulties of their mountain passes, 
the attack of the Base is always by stealth; their 
spies are ever prowling about unseen like the 
leopard, and their onset is invariably a surprise; 
success or defeat are alike followed by a rapid 
retreat to their mountains. 

As there is nothing to be obtained by the plunder 
of the Bas6 but women and children as slaves, the 
country is generally avoided, unless visited for the 
express purpose of a slave razzia. Cultivation being 
extremely limited, the greater portion of the country 
is perfectly wild, and. is never visited even by the 


82 PREPARE TO START FROM CASSALA. [chap. iv. 

Base themselves unless for the purpose of hunting. 
Several beautiful rivers descend from the mountain 
ranges, which ultimately flow into the Atbara; these, 
unlike the latter river, are never dry ; thus, with a 
constant supply of water, in a country of forest and 
herbage, the Base abounds in elephants, rhinoceros, 
hippopotami, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and 
great numbers of the antelope tribe. 

Cassala, thus situated on the confines of the Taka 
country, is an important military point in the event 
of war between Egypt and Abyssinia, as the Base 
would be invaluable as allies to the Egyptians; their 
country commands the very heart of Abyssinia, and 
their knowledge of the roads would be an incalculable 
advantage to an invading force. 

On the 14th July I had concluded my arrange¬ 
ments for the start; there had been some diffi¬ 
culty in procuring camels, but the all-powerful 
firman was a never-failing talisman, and, as the 
Arabs had declined to let their animals for hire, the 
Governor despatched a number of soldiers and seized 
the required number, including their owners. I en¬ 
gaged two wild young Arabs of eighteen and twenty 
years of age, named Bacheet and Wat Gamma, the 
latter being interpreted signifies “Son of the Moon.” 
This in no way suggests lunacy, but the young Arab 
had happened to enter this world on the day of the 
new moon, which was considered to be a particularly 
fortunate and brilliant omen at his birth. Whether 
the climax of his good fortune had arrived at the 


CHAP. IV.] 


MAHOMET'S FAMILY TREE. 


83 


moment lie entered my service, I know not, but, if 
so, there was a cloud over his happiness in his sub¬ 
jection to Mahomet, the dragoman, who rejoiced in 
the opportunity of bullying the two inferiors. Wat 
Gamma was a quiet, steady, well-conducted lad, who 
bore oppression mildly; but the younger, Bacheet, was 
a fiery, wild young Arab, who, although an excellent 
boy in his peculiar w r ay, was almost incapable of being 
tamed and domesticated. I at once perceived that 
Mahomet would have a determined rebel to control, 
which I confess I did not regret. Wages w T ere not 
high in this part of the world,—the lads were engaged 
at one and a half dollar per month and their keep. 
Mahomet, who was a great man, suffered from the 
same complaint to which great men are (in those 
countries) particularly subject: wherever he went, he 
was attacked with claimants of relationship; he was 
overwhelmed with professions of friendship from 
people who claimed to be connexions of some of his 
family; in fact, if all the ramifications of his race 
were correctly represented by the claimants of re¬ 
lationship, Mahomet's family tree would have shaded 
the Nubian desert. 

We all have our foibles;—the strongest fort has 
its feeble point, as the chain snaps at its weakest 
link;—family pride was Mahomet’s weak link. This 
was his tender point; and Mahomet, the great and 
the imperious, yielded to the gentle scratching of his 
ear if a stranger claimed connexion with his ancient 
lineage. Of course he had no family, with the 
G 2 


84 


MAHOMET MEETS RELATIONS. 


[chap. IV. 


exception of his wife and two children, whom he had 
left in Cairo. The lady whom he had honoured by 
an admission to the domestic circle of the Mahomets 
was suffering from a broken arm when we started 
from Egypt, as she had cooked the dinner badly, and 
the “ gaddah,” or large wooden bowl, had been thrown 
at her by the naturally indignant husband, precisely 
as he had thrown the axe at one man and the basin 
at another, while in our service; these were little 
contretemps that could hardly disturb the dignity 
of so great a man. Mahomet met several relations 
at Cassala: one borrowed money of him ; another 
stole his pipe ; the third, who declared that nothing 
should separate them now that “by the blessing of 
God” they had met, determined to accompany him 
through all the difficulties of our expedition, provided 
that Mahomet would only permit him to serve for 
love, without wages. I gave Mahomet some little 
advice upon this point, reminding him that, although 
the clothes of the party were only worth a few 
piastres, the spoons and forks were silver, therefore 
I should hold him responsible for the honesty of his 
friend. This reflection upon the family gave great 
offence, and he assured me that Achmet, our quondam 

acquaintance, was so near a relation that he was- 

I assisted him in the genealogical distinction, 
“ Mother’s brother’s cousin’s sisters mother’s son ? 
Eh, Mahomet \ ” “Yes, sar, that’s it!” “Very 
well, Mahomet; mind he don’t steal the spoons, and 
thrash him if he doesn’t do his work ! ” “ Yes, sar/* 


citap. IV.] WE CROSS THE GASH. P5 

replied Mahomet; “ he all same like one brother, he 
one good man will do his business quietly, if not, 
master lick him.” The new relation not under¬ 
standing English, was perfectly satisfied with the 
success of his introduction, and from that moment 
he became one of the party. One more addition, 
and our arrangements were completed:—the Governor 
of Cassala was determined that we should not start 
without a representative of the Government, in the 
shape of a soldier guide ; he accordingly gave us a 
black man, a corporal in one of the Nubian regi¬ 
ments, who was so renowned as a sportsman that 
he went by the name of “ El Baggar ” (the cow,) 
on account of his having killed several of the oryx 
antelope, known as “El Baggar et Wahash ” (the 
cow of the desert,) 

The rains had fairly commenced, as a heavy 
thunder-shower generally fell at about 2 p.m. On 
the 15th, the entire day was passed in transporting 
our baggage across the river Gash to the point from 
which we had started upon our arrival at Cassala : 
this we accomplished with much difficulty, with the 
assistance of about a hundred men supplied by the 
Governor, from whom we had received much 
attention and politeness. We camped for the 
night upon the margin of the river, and marched 
on the following morning at daybreak due west 
towards the Atbara, 

The country was a great improvement upon that 
we had hitherto passed; the trees were larger, and 


86 


STALKING THE ARIEL 


[chap. IV. 


vast plains of young grass, interspersed with green 
bush, stretched to the horizon. The soil was an 
exceedingly rich loam, most tenacious when wetted; 
far as the eye could reach to the north and west 
of Cassala was the dead level plain, while to the 
south and east arose a broken chain of mountains. 

We had not proceeded many miles, when the 
numerous tracks of antelopes upon the soil, moistened 
by the shower of yesterday, proved that we had 
arrived in a sporting country; shortly after, we saw 
a herd of about fifty ariels (Gazelle Dama). To 
stalk these wary antelopes I was obliged to separate 
from my party, who continued on their direct route. 
Eiding upon my camel, I tried every conceivable 
dodge without success. I could not approach them 
nearer than about 300 yards. They did not gallop 
off at once, but made a rush for a few hundred 
paces, and then faced about to gaze at the approach¬ 
ing camel. After having exhausted my patience to 
no purpose, I tried another plan : instead of ad¬ 
vancing against the wind as before, I made a great 
circuit and gave them the wind. No sooner was I 

in good cover behind a mimosa bush than I dis¬ 

mounted from my camel, and, leading it until within 
view of the shy herd, I tied it to a tree, keeping 

behind the animal so as to be well concealed. I 

succeeded in retreating through the bushes un¬ 
observed, leaving the camel as a gazing point to 
attract their attention. Eunning at my best speed 
to the same point from which I had commenced my 


cnAr. iv.] 


BAGGED THE GAME. 


87 


circuit, and keeping under cover of the scattered 
hushes, I thus obtained the correct wind, and stalked 
up from bush to bush behind the herd, who were 
curiously watching the tied camel, that was quietly 
gazing on a mimosa. In this way I had succeeded 
in getting within 150 yards of the beautiful herd, 
when a sudden fright seized them, and they rushed 
off in an opposite direction of the camel, so as to 
pass about 120 yards on my left; as they came by 
in full speed, I singled out a superb animal, and 
tried the first barrel of the little Fletcher rifle. I 
heard the crack of the ball, and almost immediately 
afterwards the herd passed on, leaving one lagging 
behind at a slow canter; this was my wounded 
ariel, who shortly halted, and laid down in an open 
glade. Having no dog, I took the greatest pre¬ 
caution in stalking, as a wounded antelope is almost 
certain to escape if once disturbed when it has laid 
down. There was a small withered stem of a tree 
not thicker than a man's thigh; this grew within 
thirty yards of the antelope; my only chance of 
approach was to take a line direct for this slight 
object of cover. The wind was favourable, and I 
crept along the ground. I had succeeded in arriving 
within a few yards of the tree, when up jumped 
the antelope, and bounded off as though unhurt; 
but there was no chance for it at this distance, and 
I rolled it over with a shot through the spine. 

Having done the needful with my beautiful prize, 
and extracted the interior, I returned for my camel 


88 


DESCENT OF VULTURES. 


[chap. IV. 


that had so well assisted in the stalk. Hardly had 
I led the animal to the body of the ariel, when I 
heard a rushing sound like a strong wind, and down 
came a vulture with its wings collapsed, falling 
from an immense height direct to its prey, in its 
eagerness to be the first in the race. By the 
time that I had fastened the ariel across the back 
of the camel, many vultures were sitting upon the 
ground at a few yards’ distance, while others were 
arriving every minute; before I had shot the ariel, 
not a vulture had been in sight; the instant that I 
retreated from the spot a flock of ravenous beaks 
were tearing at the offal. 

In the constant doubling necessary during the 
stalk, I had quite lost my way. The level plain to 
the horizon, covered with scattered mimosas offered 
no object as a guide. I was exceedingly thirsty, 
as the heat was intense, and I had been taking rapid 
exercise ; unfortunately my water-skin was slung upon 
my wife’s camel. However unpleasant the situation, 
my pocket compass would give me the direction, as 
we had been steering due west; therefore, as I had 
turned to my left when I left my party, a course 
N7W. should bring me across their tracks, if they 
had continued on their route. The position of the 
Cassala mountain agreed with this course; therefore, 
remounting my dromedary, with the ariel slung 
behind the saddle, I hastened to rejoin our caravan. 
After about half an hour I heard a shot fired not far 
in advance, and I shortly joined the party, who had 


CHAP. IV.] 


CHANGE OF SCENERY. 


89 


fired a gun to give me the direction. A long and 
deep pull at the water-skin was tlie first salutation. 

We halted that night near a small pond formed 
by the recent heavy rain. Fortunately the sky was 
clear; there was abundance of fuel, and pots were 
shortly boiling an excellent stew of ariel venison 
and burnt onions. The latter delicious bulbs are the 
blessing of Upper Egypt: I have lived for days upon 
nothing but raw onions and sun-dried rusks. Nothing 
is so good a substitute for meat as an onion ; but 
if raw, it should be cut into thin slices, and allowed 
to soak for half an hour in water, which should be 
poured off: the onion thus loses its pungency, and 
becomes mild and agreeable; with the accompani¬ 
ment of a little oil and vinegar it forms an excellent 
salad. 

The following days march led us through the 
same dead level of grassy plains and mimosas, en¬ 
livened with numerous herds of ariels and large 
black-striped gazelle {Dorcas), one of which I suc¬ 
ceeded in shooting for my people. After nine hours’ 
journey we arrived at the valley of the Atbara, in 
all sixteen hours’ actual marching from Cassala. 

There was an extraordinary change in the ap¬ 
pearance of the river between Gozerajup and this 
spot. There was no longer the vast sandy desert 
with the river flowing through its sterile course on 
a level with the surface of the country, but after 
traversing an apparently perfect flat of forty-five 
miles of rich alluvial soil, we had suddenly arrived 


90 THE SOURCE OF THE DELTA. [chap. iv. 

upon the edge of a deep valley, between five and six 
miles wide, at the bottom of which, about 200 feet 
below the general level of the country, flowed the 
river Atbara. On the opposite side of the valley, 
the same vast table lands continued to the western 
horizon. 

We commenced the descent towards the river; 
the valley was a succession of gullies and ravines, 
of landslips and watercourses; the entire hollow of 
miles in width, had evidently been the work of the 
river. How many ages had the rains and the 
stream been at work to scoop out from the flat 
table land this deep and broad valley? Here was 
the giant labourer that had shovelled the rich loam 
upon the delta of Lower Egypt! Upon these vast 
flats of fertile soil there can be no drainage except 
through soakage. The deep valley is therefore the 
receptacle not only for the water that oozes from 
its sides, but subterranean channels bursting as land- 
springs from all parts of the walls of the valley, 
wash down the more soluble portions of earth, and 
continually waste away the soil. Landslips occur 
daily during the rainy season ; streams of rich mud 
pour down the valley’s slopes, and as the river flows 
beneath in a swollen torrent, the friable banks topple 
down into the stream and dissolve. The Atbara 
becomes the thickness of pea-soup, as its muddy 
waters steadily perform the duty they have fulfilled 
from age to age. Thus was the great river at work 
upon our arrival on its bank at the bottom of the 


CHAF. IV.] 


THE PARENT OF EGYPT. 


91 


valley. The Arab name, “ Bahr el Aswat ” (black 
river) was well bestowed ; it was the black mother 
of Egypt, still carrying to her offspring the nourish¬ 
ment that had first formed the Delta. 

At this point of interest, the journey had com¬ 
menced ; the deserts were passed, all was fertility 
and life: wherever the sources of the Nile might 
be, the Atbara ivas the 'parent of Egypt! This 
was my first impression, to be proved hereafter. 


CHAPTER V. 

THE STORM. 

A violent thunderstorm, with a deluge of rain, 
broke upon our camp upon the banks of the Atbara, 
fortunately just after the tents were pitched. We 
thus had an example of the extraordinary effects 
of the heavy rain in tearing away the soil of the 
valley. Trifling watercourses were swollen to tor¬ 
rents ; banks of earth became loosened and fell in, 
and the rush of mud and water upon all sides 
swept forward into the river with a rapidity which 
threatened the destruction of the country, could 
such a tempest endure for a few days. In a couple 
of hours all was over. The river was narrower 
than in its passage through the desert, but was 
proportionately deeper. The name of the village 
on the opposite bank was Goorashee, with which a 
means of communication had been established by 
a ferry-boat belonging to our friend and late host, 
Malem Georgis, the Greek merchant of Cassala. 
He had mnch trouble in obtaining permission from 
the authorities to introduce this novelty, which was 


chap, v.] COTTON FARM OF MALEM GEORGIS. 93 

looked upon as an innovation, as such a convenience 
had never before existed. The enterprising pro¬ 
prietor had likewise established a cotton farm at 
Goorashee, which appeared to succeed admirably, 
and was an undeniable example of what could be 
produced in this fertile country were the spirit of 
improvement awakened. Notwithstanding the ad¬ 
vantage of the ferry-boat, many of the Arabs pre¬ 
ferred to swim their camels across the river to 
paying a trifle to the ferryman. A camel either 
cannot or will not swim unless it is supported by 
inflated skins: thus the passage of the broad river 
Atbara (at this spot about 300 yards wide) is an 
affair of great difficulty. Two water-skins are in¬ 
flated, and attached to the camel by a band passed 
like a girth beneath the belly. Thus arranged, a 
man sits upon its back, while one or two swim by 
the side as guides. The current of the Atbara runs 
at a rapid rate: thus the camel is generally carried 
at least half a mile down the river before it can 
gain the opposite bank. A few days before our 
arrival, a man had been snatched from the back of 
his camel while crossing, and was carried off by a 
crocodile. Another man had been taken during the 
last week while swimming the river upon a log. It 
was supposed that these accidents were due to the 
same crocodile, who was accustomed to bask upon a 
mud bank at the foot of the cotton plantation. On 
the day following our arrival at the Atbara, we found 
that our camel-drivers had absconded during the 


94 


FEROCIOUS CROCODILES. 


[chap. V. 


night with their camels; these were the men who 
had been forced to serve by the Governor of 
Cassala. There was no possibility of proceeding 
for some days, therefore 1 sent El Baggar across 
the river to endeavour to engage camels, while 
I devoted myself to a search for the crocodile. I 
shortly discovered that it was unfair in the extreme 
to charge one particular animal with the death of 
the two Arabs, as several large crocodiles were lying 
upon the mud in various places. A smaller one was 
lying asleep high and dry upon the bank; the wind 
was bi owing strong, so that, by carefully approach¬ 
ing, I secured a good shot within thirty yards, and 
killed it on the spot by a bullet through the head, 
placed about an inch above the eyes. 

After some time, the large crocodiles who had 
taken to the water at the report of the gun, again 
appeared, and crawled slowly out of the muddy river 
to their basking-places upon the bank. A crocodile 
usually sleeps with its mouth wide open, I therefore 
waited until the immense jaws of the nearest were 
well expanded, showing a grand row of glittering 
teeth, when I crept carefully towards it through the 
garden of thickly-planted cotton. Bacheet and Wat 
Gamma followed in great eagerness. In a short time I 
arrived within about forty yards of the beast, as it lay 
upon a flat mud bank formed by one of the numerous 
torrents that had carried down the soil during the 
storm of yesterday. The cover ceased, and it was 
impossible to approach nearer without alarming the 


CHAP. V.] 


SHOOT A MONSTER. 


£5 


crocodile; it was a fine specimen, apparently nine¬ 
teen or twenty feet in length, and I took a steady 
shot with the little Fletcher rifle at the temple, ex¬ 
actly in front of the point of union of the head with 
the spine. The jaws clashed together, and a con¬ 
vulsive start followed by a twitching of the tail led 
me to suppose that sudden death had succeeded the 
shot; but, knowing the peculiar tenacity of life pos¬ 
sessed by the crocodile, I fired another shot at. the 
shoulder, as the huge body lay so close to the river’s 
edge that the slightest struggle would cause it to 
disappear. To my surprise, this shot, far from pro¬ 
ducing a quietus, gave rise to a series of extra¬ 
ordinary convulsive struggles. One moment it rolled 
upon its back, lashed out right and left with its tail, 
and ended by toppling over into the river. 

This was too much for the excitable Bacheet, who, 
followed by his friend, Wat Gamma, with more 
courage than discretion, rushed into the river, and 
endeavoured to catch the crocodile by the tail. 
Before I had time to call them back, these two Arab 
water-dogs were up to their necks in the river, 
screaming out directions to each other while they 
were feeling for the body of the monster with their 
feet. At length I succeeded in calling them to 
shore, and we almost immediately saw the body 
of the crocodile appear belly upwards, about fifty 
yards down the stream; the forepaws were above 
the water, but, after rolling round several times, it 
once more disappeared, rapidly carried away by the 


96 


THE PUBLIC ENEMY. 


[chap. V. 


muddy torrent. This was quite enough for the 
Arabs, who had been watching the event from the 
opposite bank of the river, and the report quickly 
spread that two crocodiles were killed, one of which 
they declared to be the public enemy that had 
taken the men at the ferry, but upon what evidence 
I cannot understand. Although my Arabs looked 
forward to a dinner of crocodile flesh, I was obliged 
to search for something of rather milder flavour 
for ourselves. I waited for about an hour while 
the first crocodile was being divided, when I took 
a shot gun and succeeded in killing three geese 
and a species of antelope no larger than a hare, 
known by the Arabs as the Dik-dik (Nanotragus 
Hemprichianus ). This little creature inhabits thick 
bush. Since my return to England, I have seen 
a good specimen in the Zoological Gardens of the 
Kegent’s Park. 

Upon my arrival at the tents, I found the camp 
redolent of musk from the flesh of the crocodile, 
and the people were quarrelling for the musk 
glands, which they had extracted, and which are 
much prized by the Arab women, who wear them 
strung like beads upon a necklace. 

A crocodile possesses four of such glands ; they 
vary in size according to the age of the reptile, 
but they are generally about as large as a hazel 
nut, when dried. Two glands are situated in the 
groin, and two in the throat, a little in advance of 
the forelegs. I have noticed two species of croco- 


chap, v.] RESISTANCE OF A CROCODILE'S SCALES. 97 

diles throughout all the rivers of Abyssinia, and in 
the White Nile. One of these is of a dark brown 
colour, and much shorter and thicker in proportion 
than the other, which grows to an immense length, 
and is generally of a pale greenish yellow. Through¬ 
out the Atbara, crocodiles are extremely mischievous 
and bold ; this can be accounted for by the constant 
presence of Arabs and their flocks, which the croco¬ 
diles have ceased to fear, as they exact a heavy 
tribute in their frequent passages of the river. The 
Arabs assert that the dark-coloured thick-bodied 
species is more to be dreaded than the other. 

The common belief that the scales of a crocodile 
will stop a bullet is very erroneous. If a rifle is 
loaded with the moderate charge of two and a half 
drachms, it will throw an ounce ball through the 
scales of the hardest portion of the back; but were 
the scales struck obliquely, the bullet might possibly 
glance from the surface, as in like manner it would 
ricochet from the surface of water. The crocodile 
is so difficult to kill outright, that people are apt 
to imagine that the scales have resisted their bullets. 
The only shots that will produce instant death are 
those that strike the brain or the spine through the 
neck. A shot through the shoulder is fatal, but 
as the body immediately sinks, and does not re¬ 
appear upon the surface until the gases have dis¬ 
tended the carcase, the game is generally carried 
away by the stream before it has had time to 
float. The body of a crocodile requires from twelve 


H 


98 


DISCOVER GOLD. 


[chap. V. 


to eighteen hours before it will rise to the sur¬ 
face, while that of the hippopotamus will never 
remain longer than two hours beneath the water, and 
will generally rise in an hour and a half after 
death. This difference in time depends upon the 
depth and temperature ; in deep holes of the river of 
from thirty to fifty feet, the water is much cooler 
near the bottom, thus the gas is not generated in 
the body so quickly as in shallow and warmer water. 
The crocodile is not a grass-feeder, therefore the 
stomach is comparatively small, and the contents do 
not generate the amount of gas, that so quickly dis¬ 
tends the huge stomach of the hippopotamus; thus 
the body of the former requires a longer period before 
it will rise to the surface. 

In the evening we crossed with our baggage and 

o oo o 

people to the opposite side of the river, and pitched 
our tents at the village of Goorashee. A small 
watercourse had brought down a large quantity of 
black sand. Thinking it probable that gold might 
exist in the same locality, I washed some earth in a 
copper basin, and quickly discovered a few specks of 
the precious metal. Gold is found in small quantities 
in the sand of the Atbara; at Fazogle on the Blue 
Nile there are mines of this metal worked by the 
Egyptian Government. From my subsequent ex¬ 
perience I have no doubt that valuable minerals 
exist in large quantities throughout the lofty chain 
of Abyssinian mountains from which these rivers 
derive their sources. 

















THE DESERT JOURNEY. Seepage 99 . 



























































































































































































































































































































































chap, v.] HEAVY ACTION OF THE CAMEL. 99 

The camels arrived, and once more we were ready 
to start. Our factotum, El Baggar, had collected 
a number of both baggage-camels and riding drome¬ 
daries or “hygeens;” the latter he had brought for 
approval, as 'we had suffered much from the extreme 
roughness of our late camels. There is *the same 
difference between a good hygeen or dromedary and 
a baggage-camel as between the thoroughbred and 
the cart-horse ; and it appears absurd in the eyes 
of the Arabs that a man of any position should ride 
a baggage-camel. Apart from all ideas of etiquette, 
the motion of the latter animal is quite sufficient 
warning. Of all species of fatigue, the back-breaking 
monotonous swing of a heavy camel is the worst; and, 
should the rider lose patience, and administer a 
sharp cut with the coorbatch that induces the 
creature to break into a trot, the torture of the 
rack is a pleasant tickling compared to the sensation 
of having your spine driven by a sledge-hammer 
from below, half a foot deeper into the skull. The 
human frame may be inured to almost anything; 
thus the Arabs, who have always been accustomed 
to this kind of exercise, hardly feel the motion, and 
the portion of the body most subject to pain in 
riding a rough camel upon two bare pieces of wood 
for a saddle, becomes naturally adapted for such rough 
service, as monkeys become hardened from constantly 
sitting upon rough substances. The children com¬ 
mence almost as soon as they are born, as they must 
accompany their mothers in their annual migrations; 

H 2 


100 EL BAGGAR SELECTS A HYGEEN. [chap. v. 

and no sooner can the young Arab sit astride and hold 
on, than he is placed behind his fathers saddle, to 
which he clings, while he bumps upon the bare back of 
the jolting camel. Nature quickly arranges a horny 
protection to the nerves, by the thickening of the 
skin; thus, an Arab’s opinion of the action of a 
riding liygeen should never be accepted without a 
personal trial. What appears delightful to him 
may be torture to you, as a strong breeze and a 
rough sea may be charming to a sailor but worse 
than death to a landsman. 

I was determined not to accept the camels now 
offered as hygeens until I had seen them tried; 
I accordingly ordered our black soldier El Baggar 
to saddle the most easy-actioned animal for my 
wife, but I wished to see him put it through a 
variety of paces before she should accept it. The 
delighted El Baggar, who from long practice was as 
hard as the heel of a boot, disdained a saddle; the 
animal knelt, was mounted, and off he started at 
full trot, performing a circle of about fifty yards 
diameter as though in a circus. I never saw such 
an exhibition ! “ Warranted quiet to ride, of easy 

action, and fit for a lady !” This had been the cha¬ 
racter received with the rampant brute, who now, 
with head and tail erect, went tearing round the 
circle, screaming and roaring like a wild beast, 
throwing his forelegs forward, and stepping at least 
three feet high in his trot. Where was El Baggar ? 
A disjointed-looking black figure was sometimes on 


chap, v.] THE EASY-GOER, SUITABLE FOR A LALY! 101 

the back of this easy-going camel, sometimes a foot 
high in the air; arms, head, legs, hands appeared 
like a confused mass of dislocations ; the woolly hair 
of this unearthly individual, that had been carefully 
trained in long stiff narrow curls, precisely similar 
to the tobacco known as “ negro-head,” alternately 
started upright en masse , as though under the in¬ 
fluence of electricity, and then fell as suddenly upon 
his shoulders; had the dark individual been a “ black 
dose ” he or it could not have been more thoroughly 
shaken. This object so thoroughly disguised by ra¬ 
pidity of movement was El Baggar ; happy, delighted 
El Baggar! As he came rapidly round towards us 
flourishing his coorbatch, I called to him, “Is that 
a nice hygeen for the Sit (lady), El Baggar? is it 
very easy?” He was almost incapable of a reply. 
“ Y-e-r-y e-e-a-a-s-y,” replied the trustworthy autho- 
ity, “ j-j-j-just the thin-n-n-g for the S-i-i-i-t-t-t.” 
“All right, that will do,” I answered, and the 
jockey pulled up his steed. “Are the other camels 
better or worse than that ?” I asked. “ Much worse,” 
replied El Baggar, “ the others are rather rough, but 
this is an easy goer, and will suit the lady well.” 

It was impossible to hire a good hygeen ; an 
Arab prizes his riding animal too much, and inva¬ 
riably refuses to let it to a stranger, but generally 
imposes upon him by substituting some lightly-built 
camel, that he thinks will pass muster. I accord¬ 
ingly chose for my wife a steady-going animal from 
among the baggage-camels, trusting to be able to 


102 HOOKED THORNS OF THE MIMOSA. [chap. y. 

obtain a liygeen from tbe great Sheik Abou Sinn, 
Avho was encamped upon the road we were about 
to take along the valley of the Atbara; we arranged 
to leave Goorashee on the following day. 

Upon arriving at the highest point of the valley, 
we found ourselves upon the vast table-land that 
stretches from the Atbara to the Nile. At this sea¬ 
son the entire surface had a faint tint of green, as 
the young shoots of grass had replied to the late 
showers of rain; so perfect a level was this great 
tract of fertile country, that within a mile of the 
valley of the Atbara there was neither furrow nor 
water-course, but the escape of the rainfall was by 
simple soakage. As usual, the land was dotted with 
mimosas, all of which were now bursting into leaf. 
The thorns of the different varieties of these trees 
are an extraordinary freak of Nature, as she appears 
to have exhausted all her art in producing an appa¬ 
rently useless arrangement of defence. The mimosas 
that are most common in the Soudan provinces are 
mere bushes, seldom exceeding sixteen feet in height; 
these spread out towards the top like mushrooms, 
but the branches commence within two feet of the 
ground ; they are armed with thorns in the shape 
of fish-hooks, which they resemble in sharpness and 
strength. A thick jungle composed of such bushes 
is perfectly impenetrable to any animals but ele¬ 
phants, rhinoceros, and buffaloes, and should the 
clothes of a man become entangled in such thorns, 
either they must give way, or he must remain a 


CHAP, v.] WE CHARGE A KITTAR-BUSH. ] 03 

prisoner. The mimosa that is known among the 
Arabs as the Kittar, is one of the worst species, 
and is probably similar to that which canght Absa¬ 
lom by the hair; this differs from the well-known 
“ Wait-a-bit/' of South Africa, as no milder nickname 
could be applied than “ Dead-stop.” Were the clothes 
of strong material, it would be perfectly impossible 
to break through a kittar-bush. 

A magnificent specimen of a kittar, with a wide- 
spreading head in the young glory of green leaf, 
tempted my hungry camel during our march; it 
was determined to procure a mouthful, and I was 
equally determined that it should keep to the straight 
path, and avoid the attraction of the green food. 
After some strong remonstrance upon my part, the 
perverse beast shook its ugly head, gave a roar, and 
started off in full trot straight at the thorny bush. 
I had not the slightest control over the animal, and 
in a few seconds it charged the bush with the mad 
intention of rushing either through or beneath it. To 
my disgust I perceived that the wide-spreading 
branches were only just sufficiently high to permit 
the back of the camel to pass underneath. There 
was no time for further consideration; we charged 
the bush; I held my head doubled up between my 
arms, and the next moment I was on my back 
half stunned by the fall. The camel-saddle lay 
upon the ground, my rifle, that had been slung be¬ 
hind, my coffee-pot, the water-skin burst, and a host 
of other impedimenta lay around me in all directions ; 


104 


TEE SCORPION’S STING . 


[chap. y. 


worst of all, my beautiful gold repeater lay at some 
distance from me, rendered entirely useless. I was 
as nearly naked as I could be; a few rags held toge¬ 
ther, but my shirt was gone, with the exception of 
some shreds that adhered to my arms. I was, of 
course, streaming with blood, and looked much more 
as though I had been clawed by a leopard, than as 
having simply charged a bush. The camel had fallen 
down with the shock after I had been swept off 
by the thorny branches. To this day I have the 
marks of the scratching. 

Unless a riding-camel is perfectly trained, it is 
the most tiresome animal to ride after the first 
green leaves appear; every bush tempts it from the 
path, and it is a perpetual fight between the rider 
and his beast throughout the journey. 

We shortly halted for the night, as I had noticed 
unmistakable signs of an approaching storm. We 
quickly pitched the tents, grubbed up the root and 
stem of a decayed mimosa, and lighted a fire, by 
the side of which our people sat in a circle. Hardly 
had the pile begun to blaze, when a cry from 
Mahomet’s new relative, Achmet, informed us that he 
had been bitten by a scorpion. Mahomet appeared 
to think this highly entertaining, until suddenly 
he screamed out likewise, and springing from the 
ground, he began to stamp and wring his hands in 
great agony : he had himself been bitten, and we 
found that a whole nest of scorpions were in the 
rotten wood lately thrown upon the fire ; in their 


CHAP. V.] 


SUDDEN DELUGE. 


105 


flight from the heat they stung all whom they met. 
There was no time to prepare food; the thunder 
already roared above us, and in a few minutes the 
sky, lately so clear, was as black as ink. I had 
already prepared for the storm, and the baggage 
was piled within the tent; the ropes of the tents 
had been left slack to allow for the contraction, 
and we were ready for the rain. It was fortunate 
that we were in order; a rain descended with an 
accompaniment of thunder and lightning, of a 
volume unknown to the inhabitants of cooler cli¬ 
mates ; for several hours there was almost an unin¬ 
terrupted roar of the most deafening peals, with 
lightning so vivid that our tent was completely 
lighted up in the darkness of the night, and its 
misery displayed. Not only was the rain pouring 
through the roof so that we were wet through as 
we crouched upon our angareps (stretchers), but the 
legs of our bedstead stood in more than six inches 
of water. Being as wet as I could be, I resolved 
to enjoy the scene outside the tent; it was curious 
in the extreme. Flash after flash of sharp forked 
lightning played upon the surface of a boundless 
lake ; there was not a foot of land visible, but the 
numerous dark bushes projecting from the surface 
of the water destroyed the illusion of depth that 
the scene would otherwise have suggested. The 
rain ceased, but the entire country was flooded 
several inches deep, and when the more distant 
lightning flashed as the storm rolled away, I saw 


106 


A REGIMENT OF SCORPIONS. 


[chap. V. 


the camels lying like statues built into the lake. 
On the following morning the whole of this great 
mass of water had been absorbed by the soil, which 
had become so adhesive and slippery that it was 
impossible for the camels to move; we therefore 
waited for some hours, until the intense heat of the 
sun had dried the surface sufficiently to allow the 
animals to proceed. 

Upon striking the tent, we found beneath the 
volance between the crown and the walls a regi¬ 
ment of scorpions; the flood had doubtless destroyed 
great numbers within their holes, but these, having 
been disturbed by the deluge, had found an asylum 
by crawling up the tent walls : with great difficulty 
we lighted a fire, and committed them all to the 
flames. Mahomet made a great fuss about his hand, 
which was certainly much swollen, but not worse 
than that of Achmet, who did not complain, al¬ 
though during the night he had been again bitten 
on the leg by one of these venomous insects, that 
had crawled from the water upon his clothes. 

During our journey that morning parallel with the 
valley of the Atbara, I had an excellent opportunity of 
watching the effect of the storm. We rode along the 
abrupt margin of the table-land, where it broke sud¬ 
denly into the deep valley ; from the sides of this the 
water was oozing in all directions, creating little ava¬ 
lanches of earth, which fell as they lost their solidity 
from too much moisture. This wonderfully rich soil 
was rolling gradually towards Lower Egypt. From the 


chap, v.] VALLEY OF THE ATBARA. 107 

heights above the river we had a beautiful view of the 
stream, which at this distance, reflecting the bright sun¬ 
light, did not appear like the thick liquid mud that we 
knew it to be. The valley was of the same general 
character that we had remarked at Goorashee, but 
more abrupt—a mass of landslips, deep ravines, shaded 
by mimosas, while the immediate neighbourhood of 
the Atbara was clothed with the brightest green 
foliage. In this part, the valley was about three miles 
in width, and two hundred feet deep. 

The commencement of the rainy season was a warn¬ 
ing to all the Arabs of this country, who were prepar¬ 
ing for their annual migration to the sandy and firm 
desert on the west bank of the river, at Gozerajup ; 
that region, so barren and desolate during the hot 
season, would shortly be covered with a delicate grass 
about eighteen inches high. At that favoured spot 
the rains fell with less violence, and it formed a 
nucleus for the general gathering of the people with 
their flocks. 

We were travelling south at the very season 
when the natives were migrating north. I saw 
plainly that it would be impossible for us to continue 
our journey during the wet season, as the camels had 
the greatest difficulty in carrying their loads even now, 
at the commencement: their feet sank deep into the 
soil; this formed adhesive clods upon their spongy 
toes, that almost disabled them. The farther we 
travelled south, the more violent would the rains be¬ 
come, and a long tropical experience warned me that 


108 


THE MIGRATION OF CAMELS. 


[chai\ v. 


tlie rainy season was the signal for fevers. All the 
camels of the Arabs were being driven from the 
country; we had already met many herds travelling 
northward, but this day’s march was through crowds 
of these animals, principally females with their young, 
many thousands of which were on the road. Some of 
the young foals were so small that they could not 
endure the march ; these were slung in nets upon the 
backs of camels, while the mother followed behind. 
We revelled in milk, as we had not been able to 
procure it since we left Cassala. Some persons dis¬ 
like the milk of the camel; I think it is excellent 
to drink pure, but it does not answer in general 
use for mixing with coffee, with which it immediately 
curdles ; it is extremely rich, and is considered by the 
Arabs to be more nourishing than that of the cow. 
To persons of delicate health I should invariably re¬ 
commend boiled milk in preference to plain ; and 
should the digestion be so extremely weak that liquid 
milk disagrees with the stomach, they should allow it 
to become thick, similar to curds and whey ; this 
should be then beaten together, with the admixture of 
a little salt and cayenne pepper ; it then assumes the 
thickness of cream, and is very palatable. The Arabs 
generally prepare it in this manner ; it is not only 
considered to be more wholesome, but in its thickened 
state it is easier to carry upon a journey. With an 
apology to European medical men, I would suggest 
that they should try the Arab system whenever they 
prescribe a milk diet for a delicate patient. The first 


CHAP. V.] 


A MILK DIET. 


109 


operation of curdling, which is a severe trial to a weak 
stomach, is performed in hot climates by the atmo¬ 
sphere, as in temperate climates by the admixture of 
rennet, &c. ; thus the most difficult work of the 
stomach is effected by a foreign agency, and it is 
spared the first act of its performance. I have wit¬ 
nessed almost marvellous results from a milk diet 
given as now advised. 

Milk, if drunk warm from the animal in hot 
climates, will affect many persons in the same manner 
as a powerful dose of senna and salts. Our party 
appeared to be proof against such an accident, as they 
drank enough to have stocked a moderate-sized dairy. 
This was most good-naturedly supplied gratis by 
the Arabs. 

It was the season of rejoicing ; every one appeared 
in good humour ; the distended udders of thousands 
of camels were an assurance of plenty. The burning 
sun that for nine months had scorched the earth, was 
veiled by passing clouds; the cattle that had panted 
for water, and whose food was withered straw, were 
filled with juicy fodder; the camels that had sub¬ 
sisted upon the dried and leafless twigs and branches, 
now feasted upon the succulent tops of the mimosas. 
Throngs of women and children mounted upon camels, 
protected by the peculiar gaudy saddle hood, orna¬ 
mented with cowrie-shells, accompanied the march ; 
thousands of sheep and goats, driven by Arab boys, 
were straggling in all directions; baggage-camels, 
heavily laden with the quaint household goods, 
blocked up the way; and fine bronzed figures of 


no 


THE ARAB EXODUS. 


[chap. y. 


Arabs, with sworcl and shield, and white topes or 
plaids, guided their milk-white dromedaries through 
the confused throng with the usual placid dignity of 
their race, simply passing by with the usual greeting, 
“ Salaam aleikum,” “ Peace be with you.” 

It was the Exodus ; all were hurrying towards the 
promised land—the “ land flowing with milk and 
honey,” where men and beasts would be secure not 
only from the fevers of the south, but from that 
deadly enemy to camels and cattle, the fly ; this 
terrible insect drove all before it. 

If all were right in migrating to the north, it was 
a logical conclusion that we were wrong in going to 
the south during the rainy season ; however, we now 
heard from the Arabs that we were within a couple 
of hours march from the camp of the great Sheik 
Achmet Abou Sinn, to whom I had a letter of intro¬ 
duction. At the expiration of about that time we 
halted, and pitched the tents among some shady 
mimosas, while I sent Mahomet to Abou Sinn with 
the letter, and my firman. 

I was busily engaged in making sundry necessary 
arrangements in the tent, when Mahomet returned, 
and announced the arrival of the great sheik in 
person. He was attended by several of his principal 
people, and as he approached through the bright 
green mimosas, mounted upon a beautiful snow-white 
hygeen, I was exceedingly struck with his venerable 
and dignified appearance. Upon near arrival I went 
forward to meet him, and to assist him from his 
camel; but his animal knelt immediately at his com- 


chap, v.] THE DESERT PATRIARCH. 1J1 

mand, and lie dismounted with the ease and agility of 
a man of twenty. 

He was the most magnificent specimen of an Arab 
that I have ever seen. Although upwards of eighty 
years of age, he was as erect as a lance, and did not 
appear more than between fifty and sixty ; he was of 
Herculean stature, about six feet three inches high, 
with immensely broad shoulders and chest; a remark¬ 
ably arched nose ; eyes like an eagle, beneath large, 
shaggy, but perfectly white eyebrows; a snow-white 
beard of great thickness descended below the middle 
of his breast. He wore a large white turban, and a 
white cashmere abbai or long robe, from the throat 
to the ankles. As a desert patriarch he was superb, 
the very perfection of all that the imagination could 
paint, if we would personify Abraham at the head of 
his people. This grand old Arab with the greatest 
politeness insisted upon our immediately accompany¬ 
ing him to his camp, as he could not allow us to 
remain in his country as strangers. He would hear of 
no excuses, but he at once gave orders to Mahomet to 
have the baggage repacked and the tents removed, 
while we were requested to mount two superb white 
hygeens, with saddle-cloths of blue Persian sheep¬ 
skins, that he had immediately accoutred when he 
heard from Mahomet of our miserable camels. The 
tent was struck, and we joined our venerable host with 
a line of wild and splendidly-mounted attendants, 
who followed us towards the sheiks encampment. 


CHAPTER VI. 


SHEIK ACHMET ABOU SINN. 

Among the retinue of the aged sheik, whom we now 
accompanied, were ten of his sons, some of whom 
appeared to be quite as old as their father. We had 
ridden about two miles, when w^e were suddenly met 
by a crowd of mounted men, armed with the usual 
swords and shields; many were on horses, others 
upon hygeens, and all drew up in lines parallel with 
our approach. These were Abou Sinn’s people, who 
had assembled to give us the honorary welcome as 
guests of their chief; this etiquette of the Arabs 
consists in galloping singly at full speed across the 
line of advance, the rider flourishing the sword over 
his head, and at the same moment reining up his 
horse upon its haunches so as to bring it to a sudden 
halt. This having been performed by about a hundred 
riders upon both horses and hygeens, they fell into 
line behind our party, and, thus escorted, we shortly 
arrived at the Arab encampment. Tn all countries 
the warmth of a public welcome appears to be 
exhibited by noise—the whole neighbourhood had 


CHAP. VI.] 


THE ARAB WELCOME. 


113 


congregated to meet us—crowds of women raised the 
wild shrill cry that is sounded alike for j oy or sorrow, 
drums were beat, men dashed about with drawn 
swords and engaged in mimic fight, and in the midst 
of din and confusion we halted and dismounted. With 
peculiar grace of manner the old sheik assisted my 
wife to dismount, and led her to an open shed 
arranged with angareps (stretchers) covered with 
Persian carpets and cushions, so as to form a divan. 
Sherbet, pipes, and coffee were shortly handed to us, 
and Mahomet, as dragoman, translated the customary 
interchange of compliments; the sheik assured us 
that our unexpected arrival among them was “like 
the blessing of a new moon,” the depth of which 
expression no one can understand who has not ex¬ 
perienced life in the desert, where the first faint 
crescent is greeted with such enthusiasm. After a 
long conversation we were led to an excellent mat 
tent that had been vacated by one of his sons, and 
shortly afterwards an admirable dinner of several 
dishes was sent to us, while with extreme good taste 
we were left undisturbed by visitors until the follow¬ 
ing morning. Our men had been regaled with a fat 
sheep, presented by the sheik, and all slept con¬ 
tentedly. 

At sunrise we were visited by Abou Sinn. It 
appeared that, after our conversation of the preceding 
evening, he had inquired of Mahomet concerning my 
future plans and intentions ; he now came specially 
to implore us not to proceed south at this season of 


i 


] 14 


ABOU SINN S' ADVICE. 


[chap. VI. 


the year, as it would be perfectly impossible to travel; 
he described the country as a mass of mud, rendered 
so deep by the rains that no animal could move ; 
that the fly called the “ seroot ” had appeared, and 
that no domestic animal except a goat could survive 
its attack; he declared that to continue our route 
would be mere insanity; and he concluded by giving 
us a most hospitable invitation to join his people on 
their road to the healthy country at Gozerajup, and 
to become his guests for three or four months until 
travelling would be feasible in the south, at which 
time he promised to assist me in my explorations by 
an escort of his own people who were celebrated 
elephant hunters, and knew the entire country before 
us. This was an alluring programme, but after 
thanking him for his kindness, I explained how much 
I disliked to retrace my steps, which I should do 
by returning to Gozerajup; and that as I had heard 
of a German who was living at the village of Sofi, on 
the Atbara, I should prefer to pass the season of the 
rains at that place, where I could gather information, 
and be ready on the spot to start for the neighbouring' 
Base country, when the change of season should 
permit. After some hesitation, he consented to this 
plan, and promised not only to mount us on our 
journey, but to send with us an escort commanded 
by one of his grandsons. Sofi was about seventy- 
eight miles distant. 

Abou Sinn had arranged to move northwards on 
the following day, we therefore agreed to pass one 


CHAP. VI.] 


ARAB TRIBES OF NUBIA. 


115 


day in his camp, and to leave for Sofi the next 
morning. The ground upon which the Arab encamp¬ 
ment was situated was a tolerably flat surface, like a 
shelf upon the slope of the Atbara valley, about 
thirty or forty feet below the rich table lands; the 
surface of this was perfectly firm, as by the constant 
rains it had been entirely denuded of the loam that 
had formed the upper stratum. This formed a 
charming place for the encampment of a large party, 
as the ground was perfectly clean, a mixture of quartz 
pebbles upon a hard white sandstone. Numerous 
mimosas afforded a shade, beneath which the Arabs 
sat in groups, and at the bottom of the valley flowed 
the Atbara. 

This tribe, which was peculiarly that of Abou Sinn, 
and from which he had sprung, was the Sliookeriyali, 
one of the most powerful among the numerous tribes 
of Upper Egypt. 

From Korosko to this point we had already passed 
the Bedouins, Bishareens, Hadendowas, Hallongas, 
until we had entered the Shookeriyahs. On the 
west of our present position were the Jalyns, and to 
the south, near Sofi, were the Dabainas. Many of the 
tribes claim a right to the title of Bedouins, as 
descended from that race. The customs of all. the 
Arabs are nearly similar, and the distinction in 
appearance is confined to a peculiarity in dressing 
the hair; this is a matter of great importance among 
both men and women. It would be tedious to describe 
the minutiae of the various coiffures, but the great 


116 


A HINT TO OCTOGENARIANS. 


[chap. VI. 


desire with all tribes, except the Jalyn, is to have a 
vast quantity of hair arranged in their own peculiar 
fashion, and not only smeared, but covered with as 
much fat as can be made to adhere. Thus, should a 
man wish to get himself up as a great dandy, he 
would put at least half a pound of butter or other fat 
upon his head; this would be worked up with his 
coarse locks by a friend, until it somewhat resembled 
a cauliflower. He would then arrange his tope or 
plaid of thick cotton cloth, and throw one end 
over his left shoulder, while slung from the same 
shoulder, his circular shield would hang upon his 
back; suspended by a strap over the right shoulder 
would hang his long two-edged broadsword. 

Fat is the great desideratum of an Arab ; his head, 
as I have described, should be a mass of grease; he 
rubs his body with oil or other ointment ; his clothes, 
i.e. his one garment or tope, is covered with grease, 
and internally he swallows as much as he can procure. 

The great Sheik Abou Sinn, who is upwards of 
eighty, as upright as a dart, a perfect Hercules, and 
whose children and grandchildren are like the sand of 
the sea-shore, has always consumed daily throughout 
his life two rottolis (pounds) of melted butter. A 
short time before I left the country, he married a 
new young wife about fourteen years of age. This 
may be a hint to octogenarians. 

The fat most esteemed for dressing the hair is that 
of the sheep. This undergoes a curious preparation 
which renders it similar in appearance to cold 


CHAP. VI.] 


THE ARAB POMADE . 


117 


cream; upon the raw fat being taken from the 
animal it is chewed in the mouth by an Arab for 
about two hours, being frequently taken out for 
examination during that time, until it has assumed 
the desired consistency. To prepare sufficient to 
enable a man to appear in full dress, several persons 
must be employed in masticating fat at the same 
time. This species of pomade, when properly made, 
is perfectly white, and exceedingly light and frothy. 
It may be imagined that when exposed to a burning 
sun, the beauty of the head-dress quickly disappears, 
but the oil then runs down the neck and back, which 
is considered quite correct, especially when the tope 
becomes thoroughly greased ; the man is then perfectly 
anointed. We had seen an amusing example of this 
when on the march from Berber to Gozerajup. The 
Turk, Hadji Achmet, had pressed into our service, as 
a guide for a few miles, a dandy who had just been 
arranged as a cauliflower, with at least half-a-pound 
of white fat upon his head. As we were travelling 
upwards of four miles an hour in an intense beat, 
during which he was obliged to run, the fat ran 
quicker than he did, and at the end of a couple of 
hours both the dandy and his pomade were exhausted ; 
the poor fellow had to return to his friends with the 
total loss of personal appearance and half a pound of 
butter. 

Not only are the Arabs particular in their pomade, 
but great attention is bestowed upon perfumery, 
especially by the women. Various perfumes are 


IJ8 THE ARAB LADY’S PERFUMERY. [ciiap. vi. 

brought from Cairo by the travelling native merchants, 
among which, those most in demand are oil of roses, 
oil of sandal-wood, an essence from the blossom of a 
species of mimosa, essence of musk, and the oil of 
cloves. The women have a peculiar method of 
scenting their bodies and clothes by an operation that 
is considered to be one of the necessaries of life, and 
which is repeated at regular intervals. In the floor of 
the tent, or hut, as it may chance to be, a small hole 
is excavated sufficiently large to contain a common¬ 
sized champagne bottle ; a fire of charcoal, or of simply 
glowing embers, is made within the hole, into which 
the woman about to be scented, throws a handful of 
various drugs ; she then takes off the cloth or tope 
which forms her dress, and crouches naked over the 
fumes, while she arranges her robe to fall as a 
mantle from her neck to the ground like a tent. 
When this arrangement is concluded she is perfectly 
happy, as none of the precious fumes can escape, all 
being retained beneath the robe, precisely as if she 
wore a crinoline with an incense-burner beneath it, 
which would be a far more simple way of performing 
the operation. She now begins to perspire freely in 
the hot-air bath, and the pores of the skin being thus 
opened and moist, the volatile oil from the smoke of 
the burning perfumes is immediately absorbed. 

By the time that the fire has expired, the scenting 
process is completed, and both her person and robe 
are redolent of incense, with which they are so 
thoroughly impregnated that I have frequently smelt 


CHAP. VI.] 


THE FATAL MIXTURE . 


119 


a party of women strongly at full a hundred yards’ 
distance, when the wind has been blowing from their 
direction. Of course this kind of perfumery is only 
adapted for those who live in tents and in the open 
air, but it is considered by the ladies to have a 
peculiar attraction for the other sex, as valerian is said 
to ensnare the genus fells. As the men are said to 
be allured by this particular combination of sweet 
smells, and to fall victims to the delicacy of their 
nasal organs, it will be necessary to give the receipt 
for the fatal mixture, to be made up in proportions 
according to taste : Ginger, cloves, cinnamon, frankin¬ 
cense, sandal-wood, myrrh, a species of sea-weed that 
is brought from the Red Sea, and lastly, what I 
mistook for shells, but which I subsequently dis¬ 
covered to be the horny disc that closes the aperture 
when a shell-fish withdraws itself within its shell; 
these are also brought from the Red Sea, in which 
they abound throughout the shores of Nubia and 
Abyssinia. In addition to the- charm of sweet per¬ 
fumes, the women who can afford the luxury, suspend 
from their necks a few pieces of the dried glands 
of the musk cat, which is a native of the country; 
such an addition completes the toilette, when the 
coiffure has been carefully arranged. 

Hair-dressing in all parts of the world, both 
civilized and savage, is a branch of science; savage 
negro tribes are distinguished by the various arrange¬ 
ments of their woolly heads. Arabs are marked by 
similar peculiarities, that have never changed for 


] 20 TUE COIFFURE OF THE WORLD. [chap. yi. 

thousands of years, and may be yet seen depicted 
upon the Avails of Egyptian temples in the precise 
forms as worn at present, while in modern times the 
perfection of art has been in the wig of a Lord 
Chancellor. Although this latter example of the 
result of science is not the actual hair of the wearer, 
it adds an imposing glow of wisdom to the general 
appearance, and may have originated as a necessity 
where a deficiency of sagacity had existed, and where 
the absence of years required the fictitious crown of 
grey old age. A barrister in his wig, and the same 
amount of learning without the wig, is a very different 
affair, he is an imperfect shadow of himself. Never¬ 
theless, among civilized nations, the men do not 
generally bestow much anxiety upon the fashion of 
their hair; the labour in this branch of art is generally 
performed by the women, who in all countries and 
climes, and in every stage of civilization, bestow the 
greatest pains upon the perfection of the coiffure, the 
various arrangements of which might, I should imagine, 
be estimated by the million. In some countries they 
are not even contented with the natural colour of the 
hair, either if black or blonde, but they use a pigment 
that turns it red. I only noticed this among the 
Somauli tribe ; and that of the Nuelir, who are one of 
the wildest savages of the White Nile, until I returned 
to England, where I found the custom was becoming 
general among the civilized, and that ladies were 
adopting the lovely tint of the British fox. The 
Arab women do not indulge in fashions; strictly con- 


chap, vi.] THE ARAB WOMAN'S HEAD-DRESS. 121 

scrvative in tlieir manners and customs, they never 
imitate, but they simply vie with each other in the 
superlativeness of their own style ; thus the dressing 
of the hair is a most elaborate affair, which occupies 
a considerable portion of their time. It is quite im¬ 
possible for an Arab woman to arrange her own hair, 
she therefore employs an assistant, who, if clever in the 
art, will generally occupy about three days before it 
is satisfactorily concluded. First, the hair must be 
combed with a long skewer-like pin, then, when well- 
divided, it becomes possible to use an exceedingly 
coarse wooden comb. When the hair is reduced to 
reasonable order by the latter process, a vigorous hunt 
takes place, which occupies about an hour, according 
to the amount of game preserved ; the sport concluded, 
the hair is rubbed with a mixture of oil of roses, 
myrrh, and sandal-wood dust mixed with a powder of 
cloves and cassia. When well greased and rendered 
somewhat stiff by the solids thus introduced, it is 
plaited into at least two hundred fine plaits; each of 
these plaits is then smeared with a mixture of sandal¬ 
wood dust and either gum water or paste of dhurra 
flour. On the last day of the operation, each tiny 
plait is carefully opened by the long hair-pin or 
skewer, and the head is ravissante. Scented and 
frizzled in this manner, with a well-greased tope or 
robe, Ihe Arab lady’s toilette is complete, her head is 
then a little larger than the largest sized English mop, 
and her perfume is something between the aroma of a 
perfumer’s shop and the monkey-house at the Zoological 


122 “ THE DUST BECAME LICE THROUGH ALL EGYPT:’ [ch. vi. 

Gardens. This is considered “ very killing/' and I have 
been quite of that opinion when a crowd of women 
have visited my wife in our tent, with the ther¬ 
mometer at 95°, and they have kindly consented to 
allow me to remain as one of the party. It is hardly 
necessary to add, that the operation of hair-dressing 
is not often performed, but that the effect is permanent 
for about a week, during which time the game becomes 
so excessively lively, that the creatures require stirring 
up with the long hair-pin or skewer whenever too 
unruly; this appears to be constantly necessary from 
the vigorous employment of the ruling sceptre during 
conversation. A levee of Arab women in the tent was 
therefore a disagreeable invasion, as we dreaded the 
fugitives; fortunately, they appeared to cling to the 
followers of Mahomet in preference to Christians. 

The plague of lice brought upon the Egyptians by 
Moses has certainly adhered to the country ever since, 
if “ lice ” is the proper translation of the Hebrew word 
in the Old Testament: it is my own opinion that the 
insects thus inflicted upon the population were not 
lice, but ticks. Exod. viii. 16, “The dust became 
lice through all Egypt; ” again, Exod. viii. 17, 
“ Smote dust ... it became lice in man and beast." 
Now the louse that infects the human body and hair 
has no connexion whatever with “dust," and if subject 
to a few hours’ exposure to the dry heat of the burning 
sand, it would shrivel and die; but the tick is an 
inhabitant of the dust, a dry horny insect without any 
apparent moisture in its composition; it lives in hot 


CHAP. VI.] 


THE ARAB CHARMS . 


123 


sand and dust, where it cannot possibly obtain nourish¬ 
ment, until some wretched animal should lie down 
upon the spot, and become covered with these horrible 
vermin. I have frequently seen dry desert places so 
infested with ticks, that the ground was perfectly 
alive with them, and it would have been impossible 
to have rested on the earth; in such spots, the passage 
in Exodus has frequently occurred to me as bearing 
reference to these vermin, which are the greatest 
enemies to man and beast. It is well known that 
from the size of a grain of sand in their natural state, 
they will distend to the size of a hazel nut after 
having preyed for some days upon the blood of an 
animal. The Arabs are invariably infested with lice, 
not only in their hair, but upon their bodies and 
clothes ; even the small charms or spells worn upon 
the arm in neatly-sewn leathern packets, are full of 
these vermin. Such spells are generally verses copied 
from the Koran by the Faky, or priest, who receives 
some small gratuity in exchange; the men wear 
several of such talismans upon the arm above the 
elbow, but the women wear a large bunch of charms, 
as a sort of chateleine, suspended beneath their clothes 
round the waist. Although the tope or robe, loosely 
but gracefully arranged around the body, appears to be 
the whole of the costume, the women wear beneath 
this garment a thin blue cotton cloth tightly bound 
round the loins, which descends to a little above the 
knee; beneath this, next to the skin, is the last 
garment, the raMt—the latter is the only clothing of 


124 


THE RABAT OR ARAB KILT. 


[chap. VI. 


young girls, and may be either perfectly simple or 
adorned with beads and cowrie shells according to the 
fancy of the wearer ; it is perfectly effective as a dress, 
and admirably adapted to the climate. 

The rahat is a fringe of fine dark brown or reddish 
twine, fastened to a belt, and worn round the waist. 
On either side are two long tassels, that are generally 
ornamented with beads or cowries, and dangle nearly 
to the ankles, while the rahat itself should descend 
to a little above the knee, or rather shorter than 
a Highland kilt. Nothing can be prettier or more 
simple than this dress, which, although short, is of 
such thickly hanging fringe, that it perfectly answers 
the purpose for which it is intended. Many of the 
Arab girls are remarkably good-looking, with fine 
figures until they become mothers. They generally 
marry at the age of thirteen or fourteen, but fre¬ 
quently at twelve, or even earlier. Until married, 
the rahat is their sole garment. Throughout the Arab 
tribes of Upper Egypt, chastity is a necessity, as an 
operation is performed at the early age of from three 
to five years that thoroughly protects all females, and 
which renders them physically proof against incon- 
tinency. 

There is but little love-making among the Arabs. 
The affair of matrimony usually commences by a 
present to the father of the girl, which, if accepted, 
is followed by a similar advance to the girl herself, 
and the arrangement is completed. All the friends 
of both parties are called together for the wedding 


chap. vi.j ARAB WEBBINGS. 125 

pistols and guns are fired off, if possessed. There 
is much feasting, and the unfortunate bridegroom 
undergoes the ordeal of whipping by the relations 
of his bride, in order to test his courage. Sometimes 
this punishment is exceedingly severe, being inflicted 
with the coorbatch or whip of hippopotamus hide, 
which is cracked vigorously about his ribs and back. 
If the happy husband wishes to be considered a 
man worth having, he must receive the chastisement 
with an expression of enjoyment; in which case the 
crowds of women in admiration again raise their 
thrilling cry. After the rejoicings of the day are 
over, the bride is led in the evening to the residence 
of her husband, while a beating of drums and strum¬ 
ming of guitars (rhababas) are kept up for some hours 
during the night, with the usual discordant idea of 
singing. 

There is no divorce court among the Arabs. They 
are not sufficiently advanced in civilization to accept 
a pecuniary fine as the price of a wife’s dishonour ; 
but a stroke of the husband’s sword, or a stab with 
the knife, is generally the ready remedy for infidelity. 
Although strictly Mahometans, the women are never 
veiled; neither do they adopt the excessive reserve 
assumed by the Turks and Egyptians. The Arab 
women are generally idle; and one of the conditions 
of accepting a suitor is, that a female slave is to be 
provided for the special use of the wife. No Arab 
woman will engage herself as a domestic servant; 
thus, so long as their present customs shall remain 


126 


NO DIVORCE COURT. 


[chap. VI. 


unchanged, slaves are creatures of necessity. Al¬ 
though the law of Mahomet limits the number of 
wives for each man to four at one time, the Arab 
women do not appear to restrict their husbands to 
this allowance, and the slaves of the establishment 
occupy the position of concubines. 

The customs of the Arabs in almost every detail 
have remained unchanged. Thus, in dress, in their 
nomadic habits, food, the anointing with oil (Eccles. 
ix. 8, "'Let thy garments be always white, and 
let thy head lack no ointment”), they retain the 
habits and formalities of the distant past, and the 
present is but the exact picture of those periods 
which are historically recorded in the Old Testament. 
The perfumery of the women already described, bears 
a resemblance to that prepared by Moses for the 
altar, which was forbidden to be used by the people. 
“ Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure 
myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so 
much, even 250 shekels; and of sweet calamus 250 
shekels, and of cassia 500 shekels, after the shekel 
of the sanctuary, and of oil olive a bin; and thou 
shalt make an oil of holy ointment, an ointment 
composed after the art of the apothecary; it shall 
be an holy anointing oil.”—Exod. xxx. 23-25. 

The manner of anointing by the ancients is ex¬ 
hibited by the Arabs at the present day, who, as I 
have already described, make use of so large a quan¬ 
tity of grease at one application that, when melted, 
it runs down over their persons and clothes. In 


CHAP. VI.] 


ANOINTING WITH OIL. 


127 


Ps. cxxxiii. 2, “ It is like tlie precious ointment 
upon tlie head, that ran down upon the heard, even 
Aaron’s beard, that went down to the skirts of his 
garments.” 

In all hot climates, oil or other fat is necessary to 
the skin as a protection from the sun, where the body 
is either naked or very thinly clad. I have frequently 
seen both Arabs and the negro tribes of Africa 
suffer great discomfort when for some days the supply 
of grease has been exhausted ; the skin has become 
coarse, rough, almost scaly, and peculiarly unsightly, 
until the much-loved fat has been obtained, and the 
general appearance of smoothness has been at once 
restored by an active smearing. Tlie expression in 
Ps. civ. 15, “And oil to make his face to shine,” 
describes the effect that was then considered beauti¬ 
fying, as it is at the present time. 

The Arabs generally adhere strictly to their ancient 
customs, independently of the comparatively recent 
laws established by Mahomet. Thus, concubinage is 
not considered a breach of morality; neither is it 
regarded by the legitimate wives with jealousy. They 
attach great importance to the laws of Moses, and 
to the customs of their forefathers; neither can they 
understand the reason for a change of habit in any 
respect where necessity has not suggested the reform. 
The Arabs are creatures of necessity; their nomadic 
life is compulsory, as the existence of their flocks 
and herds depends upon the pasturage. Thus, with 
the change of seasons they must change their 


128 NOMADIC HABITS OF THE ARABS. [chap. vi. 

localities, according to the presence of fodder for their 
cattle. Driven to and fro by the accidents of climate, 
the Arab has been compelled to become a wanderer, 
and precisely as the wild beasts of the country are 
driven from place to place either by the arrival of the 
fly, the lack of pasturage, or by the want of water, 
even so must the flocks of the Arab obey the law 
of necessity, in a country where the burning sun 
and total absence of rain for nine months of the 
year, convert the green pastures into a sandy desert. 
The Arabs and their herds must follow the example 
of the wild beasts, and live as wild and wandering 
a life. In the absence of a fixed home, without a 
city, or even a village that is permanent, there can 
be no change of custom. There is no stimulus to com¬ 
petition in the style of architecture that is to endure 
only for a few months; no municipal laws suggest 
deficiencies that originate improvements. The Arab 
cannot halt in one spot longer than the pasturage 
will support his flocks; therefore his necessity is food 
for his beasts. The object of his life being fodder, 
he must wander in search of the ever-changing supply. 
His wants must be few, as the constant changes of 
encampment necessitate the transport of all his 
household goods; thus he reduces to a minimum 
the domestic furniture and utensils. No desires for 
strange and fresh objects excite his mind to im¬ 
provement, or alter his original habits ; he must limit 
his impedimenta , not increase them. Thus with a 
few necessary articles he is contented. Mats for his 


chap, vi.] UNCHANGING CUSTOMS OF THE ARABS. 129 

tent, ropes manufactured with the hair of his goats 
and camels, pots for carrying fat; water-jars and 
earthenware-pots or gourd-shells for containing milk ; 
leather water-skins for the desert, and sheep-skin bags 
for his clothes. These are the requirements of the 
Arabs. Their patterns have never changed, but the 
water-jar of to-day is of the same form that was carried 
to the well by the women of thousands of years ago. 
The conversation of the Arabs is in the exact style 
of the Old Testament. The name of God is coupled 
with every trifling incident in life, and they believe 
in the continual action of Divine special interference. 
Should a famine afflict the country, it is expressed 
in the stern language of the Bible—“ The Lord has 
sent a grievous famine upon the land or, “ The Lord 
called for a famine, and it came upon the land.” 
Should their cattle fall sick, it is considered to be 
an affliction by Divine command ; or should the flocks 
prosper and multiply particularly during one season, 
the prosperity is attributed to special interference. 
Nothing can happen in the usual routine of daily 
life without a direct connexion with the hand of 
God, according to the Arab’s belief. 

This striking similarity to the descriptions of the 
Old Testament is exceedingly interesting to a traveller 
when residing among these curious and original 
people. With the Bible in one hand, and these un¬ 
changed tribes before the eyes, there is a thrilling 
illustration of the sacred record; the past becomes 
the present; the veil of three thousand years is raised, 


130 


THE HAND OF GOD. 


[chap. vr. 


and the living picture is a witness to the exactness 
of the historical description. At the same time, there 
is a light thrown upon many obscure passages in 
the Old Testament by the experience of the present 
customs and figures of speech of the Arabs; which 
are precisely those that were practised at the periods 
described. I do not attempt to enter upon a theo¬ 
logical treatise, therefore it is unnecessary to allude 
specially to these particular points. The sudden and 
desolating arrival of a flight of locusts, the plague, or 
any other unforeseen calamity, is attributed to the 
anorer of God, and is believed to be an infliction of 
punishment upon the people thus visited, precisely as 
the plagues of Egypt were specially inflicted upon 
Pharaoh and the Egyptians. 

Should the present history of the country be written 
by an Arab scribe, the style of the description would 
be purely that of the Old Testament, and the various 
calamities or the good fortunes that have in the course 
of nature befallen both the tribes and individuals, 
would be recounted either as special visitations of 
Divine wrath, or blessings for good deeds performed. 
If in a dream a particular course of action is suggested, 
the Arab believes that God has spoken and directed 
him. The Arab scribe or historian would describe 
the event as the “voice of the Lord” (“kallam el 
Allah”), having spoken unto the person; or, that 
God appeared to him in a dream and “said? &c. 
Thus much allowance would be necessary on the part 
of a European reader for the figurative ideas and 


CHAP. VI.] 


RELIGION OF THE ARABS. 


131 


expressions of the people. As the Arabs are un¬ 
changed, the theological opinions which they now 
hold are the same as those which prevailed in remote 
ages, with the simple addition of their belief in 
Mahomet as the Prophet. 

There is a fascination in the unchangeable features 
of the Nile regions. There are the vast Pyramids 
that have defied time; the river upon which Moses 
was cradled in infancy; the same sandy deserts 
through which he led his people; and the watering- 
places where their flocks were led to drink. The wild 
and wandering tribes of Arabs who thousands of years 
ago dug out the wells in the wilderness, are repre¬ 
sented by their descendants unchanged, who now 
draw water from the deep wells of their forefathers 
with the skins that have never altered their fashion. 
The Arabs, gathering with their goats and sheep 
around the wells to-day, recall the recollection of that 
distant time when “ Jacob went on his journey, 
and came into the land of the people of the east 
And he looked, and behold a well in the field; and, 
lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it, for 
out of that well they watered the flocks ; and a great 
stone was upon the well’s mouth. And thither were 
all the flocks gathered; and they rolled the stone from 
the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the 
stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.” The 
picture of that scene would be an illustration of Arab 
daily life in the Nubian deserts, where the present is 
the mirror of the past. 

k 2 


CHAPTER VII. 


THE DEPARTURE. 

On the morning of the 25th July, 1861 , Abou Sinn 
arrived at our tent with a number of his followers, 
in their whitest apparel, accompanied by one of his 
grandsons, Sheik Ali, who was to command our 
escort and to accompany us to the frontier of the 
Dabaina tribe, at which spot we were to be handed 
over to the care of the sheik of those Arabs, 
Atalan Wat Said, who would conduct us to Sofi. 
There were two superb hygeens duly equipped for 
my wife and myself; they were snow-white, with¬ 
out speck or blemish, and as clean and silk-like as 
good grooming could accomplish. One of these 
beautiful creatures I subsequently measured,—seven 
feet three and a half inches to the top of the hump; 
this was much above the average. The baggage- 
camels were left to the charge of the servants, and 
we were requested to mount immediately, as the 
Sheik Abou Sinn was determined to accompany us 
for some distance as a mark of courtesy, although he 
was himself to march with his people on that day in 


CHAP. VII.] 


FIRST-CLASS HYGEFNS. 


133 


the opposite direction towards Gozerajup. Escorted by 
our grand old host, with a great number of mounted 
attendants, we left the hospitable camp, and followed 
the margin of the Atbara valley towards the south, 
until, at the distance of about two miles, Abou Sinn 
took leave, and returned with his people. 

We now enjoyed the contrast between the light 
active step of first-class hygeens, and the heavy 
swinging action of the camels we had hitherto 
ridden. Travelling was for the first time a pleasure; 
there was a delightful movement in the elasticity of 
the hygeens, who ambled at about five miles and a 
half an hour, as their natural pace; this they can 
continue for nine or ten hours without fatigue. 
Having no care for the luggage, and the coffee-pot 
being slung upon the saddle of an attendant, who 
also carried our carpet, we were perfectly independent, 
as we were prepared with the usual luxuries upon 
halting,—the carpet to recline upon beneath a shady 
tree, and a cup of good Turkish coffee. Thus we 
could afford to travel at a rapid rate, and await 
the arrival of the baggage-camels at the end of 
the day's journey. In this manner the march 
should be arranged in these wild countries, where 
there is no resting-place upon the path beyond 
the first inviting shade that suggests a halt. The 
day's journey should be about twenty-four miles. 
A loaded camel seldom exceeds two miles and a half 
per hour ; at this rate nearly ten hours would be 
consumed upon the road daily, during which time 


134 TRAVELLING ARRANGEMENTS. [ciiAr. vii. 

the traveller would be exposed to the intense heat 
of the sun, and to the fatigue inseparable from a 
long and slow march. A servant mounted upon a 
good hygeen should accompany him with the coffee 
apparatus and a cold roast fowl and biscuits; the 
ever necessary carpet should form the cover to his 
saddle, to be ready when required; he then rides 
far in advance of the caravan. This simple arrange¬ 
ment insures comfort, and lessens the ennui of the 
journey; the baggage-camels are left in charge of 
responsible servants,- to be brought forward at their 
usual pace, until they shall arrive at the place 
selected for the halt by the traveller. The usual 
hour of starting is about 5.30 a.m. The entire day’s 
journey can be accomplished in something under five 
hours upon hygeens, instead of the ten hours’ dreary 
pace of the caravan ; thus, the final halt would be 
made at about 10.30 a.m. at which time the traveller 
would be ready for breakfast. The carpet would be 
spread under a shady tree; upon a branch of this 
his water-skin should be suspended, and the day’s 
work over, he can write up his journal and enjoy 
his pipe while coffee is being prepared. After break¬ 
fast he can take his gun or rifle and explore the 
neighbourhood, until the baggage-camels shall arrive 
in the evening, by which time, if he is a sportsman, 
he -will have procured something for the dinner of 
the entire party. The servants will have collected 
firewood, and all will be ready for the arrival of the 
caravan, without the confusion and bustle of a 


CHAP. VII.] 


THE EVENING BIVOUAC. 


135 


general scramble, inseparable from tlie work to be 
suddenly performed when camels must be unloaded, 
fuel collected, fires lighted, the meals prepared, beds 
made, &c. &c. all at the same moment, with the 
chance of little to eat. Nothing keeps the camel- 
drivers and attendants in such good humour as a 
successful rifle. While they are on their long and 
slow march, they speculate upon the good luck that 
may attend the masters gun, and upon arrival at 
the general bivouac in the evening, they are always 
on the alert to skin and divide the antelopes, pluck 
the guinea-fowls, &c. &c. We now travelled in this 
delightful manner; there were great numbers of 
guinea-fowl throughout the country, which was the 
same everlasting flat and rich table-land, extending 
for several hundred miles to the south, and dotted 
with green mimosas; while upon our left was the 
broken valley of the Atbara. 

The only drawback to the journey was the rain. 
At about 2 p.m. daily we were subjected to a violent 
storm, which generally lasted until the evening, and 
although our guides invariably hurried forward on 
the march to the neighbourhood of some deserted 
huts, whose occupants had migrated north, our 
baggage and servants upon the road were exposed 
to the storm, and arrived late in the evening, wet 
and miserable. There could be no doubt that the 
season for travelling was past. Every day s journey 
south had proved by the increased vegetation that 
we were invading the rainy zone, and that, although 


] 36 THE JUNCTION OF THE SETTITE RIVER [chap. vii. 

the northern deserts possessed their horrors of sandy 
desolation, they at the same time afforded that great 
advantage to the traveller, a dry climate. 

In a few rapid marches we arrived at Tomat, the 
commencement of the Dabainas, and the principal 
head-quarters of the sheik of that tribe, Atalan 
Wat Said. This was a lovely spot, where the 
country appeared like green velvet, as the delicate 
young grass was about two inches above the ground. 
The Arab camp was situated upon a series of knolls 
about a hundred and fifty feet above the Atbara, 
upon the hard ground denuded by the rains, as this 
formed a portion of the valley. At this spot, the 
valley on the west bank of the river was about two 
miles broad, and exhibited the usual features of in¬ 
numerable knolls, ravines, and landslips, in succession, 
like broken terraces from the high level table-land, 
sloping down irregularly to the water's edge. On 
the opposite side of the river was the most important 
feature of the country; the land on the east bank 
was considerably higher than upon the west, and a 
long tongue formed a bluff cliff that divided the 
Atbara valley from the sister valley of the Settite, 
which, corresponding exactly in character and ap¬ 
parent dimensions, joined that of the Atbara from 
the S.E., forming an angle like the letter V, in a 
sudden bend of the river. Through the valley of 
the eastern bank flowed the grand river Settite, 
which here formed a junction with the Atbara. 

Looking down upon the beautifully wooded banks 


chap, vii.] SHEIK AT ALAN WAT SAID. 137 

of the two rivers at this interesting point, we rode 
leisurely across a ravine, and ascended a steep incline 
of bright green grass, upon the summit of which 
was a fine level space of several acres that formed 
the Arab head-quarters. This surface was nearly 
covered with the usual mat tents, and in a few 
moments our camels knelt before that of the sheik, 
at which we dismounted. A crowd of inquisitive 
Arabs surrounded us upon seeing so large a party 
of hygeens, and the firman having been delivered 
by our guide, Sheik Ali, we were almost immediately 
visited by Sheik Atalan Wat Said. He was a man 
in the prime of life, of an intelligent countenance, 
and he received us with much politeness, immediately 
ordering a fat sheep to be brought and slaughtered 
for our acceptance. 

The usual welcome upon the arrival of a traveller, 
who is well received in an Arab camp, is the 
sacrifice of a fat sheep, that should be slaughtered 
at the door of his hut or tent, so that the blood 
flows to the threshold. This custom has evidently 
some connexion with the ancient rites of sacrifice. 
Should an important expedition be undertaken, a 
calf is slaughtered at the entrance of the camp, 
and every individual steps over the body as the party 
starts upon the enterprise. 

Upon learning my plans, he begged us to remain 
through the rainy season at Tomat, as it was the 
head-quarters of a party of Egyptian irregular troops, 
who would assist me in every way. This was no 


13S 


ABYSSINIAN FRONTIER . 


[ciiai\ vii. 


great temptation, as they were the people whom 
I most wished to avoid; I therefore explained 
that I was bound to Sofi by the advice of Abou 
Sinn, from whence I could easily return if I thought 
proper, but I wished to proceed on the following 
morning. He promised to act as our guide, and 
that liygeens should be waiting at the tent-door at 
sunrise. After our interview, I strolled down to the 
rivers side and shot some guinea-fowl. 

The Settite is the river par excellence , as it is 
the principal stream of Abyssinia, in which country 
it bears the name of “Taccazzy.” Above the junction, 
the Atbara does not exceed two hundred yards in 
width. Both rivers have scooped out deep and 
broad valleys throughout their course ; this fact con¬ 
firmed my first impression of the supply of soil 
having been brought down by the Atbara to the 
Nile. The country on the opposite or eastern bank 
of the Atbara is contested ground; in reality it 
forms the western frontier of Abyssinia, of which 
the Atbara river is the boundary, but since the 
annexation of the Nubian provinces to Egypt there 
has been no safety for life or property upon the line 
of frontier; thus a large tract of country actually 
forming a portion of Abyssinia is uninhabited. 

Upon my return to the camp, I was informed by 
the Sheik Wat Said that a detachment of troops was 
stationed at Tomat expressly to protect the Egyptian 
frontier from the raids of Mek Nimmur, who was in 
the habit of crossing the Atbara and pillaging the Arab 


chap, vii.] ISMAEL PASHA BURNT ALIVE. 139 

villages during the dry season, when the river was 
fordable. This Mek Nimmur was a son of the 
celebrated Mek Nimmur, the chief of Shendy, a district 
upon the west bank of the Nile between Berber and 
Khartoum. When the Egyptian forces, under the 
command of Ismael Pasha, the son of the Viceroy 
Mehemet Ali Pasha, arrived at Shendy, at the time of 
the conquest of Nubia, he called the great Sheik Mek 
(from Melek, signifying king) Nimmur before him, and 
demanded the following supplies for his army, as 
tribute for the Pasha : 1,000 young girls as slaves ; 
1,000 oxen; and of camels, goats, sheep, each 
1,000 ; also camel-loads of corn and straw each 
1,000, with a variety of other demands expressed by 
the same figure. It is said that Mek Nimmur replied 
to these demands with much courtesy, “ Your arith¬ 
metic exhibits a charming simplicity, as the only 
figure appears to be 1,000.” In a short time the 
supplies began to arrive; strings of camels laden with 
corn, assembled at Shendy in the Egyptian camp; 
cattle, goats, sheep, came in from all sides; fodder for 
the Egyptian cavalry, to the amount of 1,000 camel¬ 
loads, was brought to head-quarters, and piled in a 
huge wall that encircled the tent of the General 
Ismael Pasha. In the dead of night, while he slept, 
the crackling of fire was heard, and flames burst out 
upon all sides of the dry and combustible fodder ; the 
Arabs had fired the straw in all directions, and a roar 
of flame in a fatal ring surrounded the Pasha’s tent, 
which caught the fire. There was no escape ! In the 


140 


MEK NIMMUR 


[CHAr. VIT. 


confusion, the Arabs fell upon the troops, and 
massacred a considerable number. After this success, 
Mek Nimmur succeeded in retiring with his people 
and herds to Sofi, on the Atbara, to which place we 
were bound; this was about twelve miles from Tomat. 
The body of Ismael Pasha was found beneath those of 
some of his women, all of whom that were within the 
inclosure had perished. 

After this calamity the Egyptians recovered Shendy, 
and in revenge they collected a number of the in¬ 
habitants of all ages and both sexes. These were penned 
together like cattle in a zareeba or kraal, and were 
surrounded with dhurra-straw, which was fired in a 
similar manner to that which destroyed the Pasha. 
Thus were these unfortunate creatures destroyed 
en masse, while the remaining portion of the popula¬ 
tion fled to the new settlement of their chief at Sofi. 

Within the last few years preceding my arrival, the 
Egyptians had attacked and utterly destroyed the old 
town of Sofi. Mek Nimmur had retired across the 
Atbara, and had taken refuge in Abyssinia, where he 
had been welcomed by the king of that country as 
the enemy of the Turks, and had been presented with 
a considerable territory at the western base of the high 
mountain range. When I arrived on the Atbara in 
1861, the original Mek Nimmur was dead, and his 
son, who also was called Mek Nimmur, reigned in his 
stead. “Nimmur” signifies in Arabic “leopard” 
thus “ Mek Nimmur ” is the “ Leopard King.” 

This man was constantly at war with the Egyptians, 


CHAr. VII.] 


THE ENEMY OF EGYPT. 


141 


and such Arabs who were friendly to Egypt. His 
principal head-quarters were about seventy miles 
from Tomat, at a village named Mai Gubba, from 
which country he made successful razzias upon the 
Egyptian territory, which compelled a vigilant look 
out during the dry season. During the rains there 
was no danger, as the river was immensely deep, and 
impassable from the total absence of boats. 

The uninhabited country exactly opposite Tomat 
was said to abound with large game, such as ele¬ 
phants, giraffes, &c. as there were no enemies to 
disturb them. 

At break of day, 29th July, the grandson of Abou 
Sinn, Sheik Ali, who had been our guide, paid us his 
parting visit, and returned with his people, while at 
the same time Atalan Wat Said arrived with a large 
retinue of his own Arabs and Egyptian soldiers to 
escort us to Sofi. Two splendid hygeens were 
already saddled for us, one of which was specially 
intended for my wife; this was the most thorough¬ 
bred looking animal I have ever seen; both were 
milk-white, but there was a delicacy in the latter 
that was unequalled. This was rather small, and 
although the ribs were so well covered that the 
animal appeared rather fleshy, it was in the hardest 
condition, and was shaped in the depth of brisket and 
width of loins like a greyhound; the legs were 
remarkably fine, and as clean as ivory. The Sheik 
Atalan was charmed at our admiration of his much- 
prized hygeen, and to prove its speed and easy action 


142 


ARRIVAL AT SOFT. 


[chap. VII. 


we were no sooner mounted than he led the way at 
about ten miles an hour, down the steep slopes, across 
the rough water-courses, and up the hill sides, 
assuring my wife that she might sip a cup of coffee 
on the back of the animal she rode, without spilling 
a drop : although an exaggeration, this is the usual 
figure of speech by which an Arab describes the easy 
action of a first-rate hygeen. It was a beautiful sight 
to watch the extraordinary ease with which the 
hygeen glided along over the numerous inequalities 
of the ground without the slightest discomfort to 
the rider ; the numerous escort became a long and 
irregular line of stragglers, until at length lost in the 
distance, with the exception of three or four, who, 
well-mounted, were proud of keeping their position. 
Emerging from the uneven valley of the Atbara, we 
arrived upon the high and level table-land above ; 
here the speed increased, and in the exhilaration of 
the pace in the cool morning air, with all nature 
glowing in the fresh green of a Nubian spring, we 
only regretted the shortness of the journey to Sofi, 
which we reached before the heat of the day had 
commenced. We were met by the sheik of the 
village, and by a German who had been a resident of 
Sofi for some years; he was delighted to see 
Europeans, especially those who were conversant with 
his own language, and he very politely insisted that 
we should dismount at his house. Accordingly our 
camels knelt at the door of a little circular stone 
building about twelve feet in diameter, with a roof 


CHAP. VII.] 


THE RECEPTION. 


431 


thatched according to Arab fashion. This dwelling 
was the model of an Arab but, but the walls were 
of masonry instead of mud and sticks, and two small 
windows formed an innovation upon the Arab style, 
which had much astonished the natives, who are 
contented with the light afforded by the doorway. 

We were shortly sitting in the only stone building 
in the country, among a crowd of Arabs, who, 
according to their annoying custom, had thronged to 
the hut upon our arrival, and not only had filled the 
room, but were sitting in a mob at the doorway, 
while masses of mop-like heads were peering over 
the shoulders of the front rank, excluding both light 
and air; even the windows were blocked with highly 
frizzled heads, while all were talking at the same 
time. 

Coffee having been handed to the principal people, 
while our tents were being pitched outside the village, 
we at length silenced the crowd; our new acquaint¬ 
ance explained in Arabic the object of our arrival, 
and our intention of passing the rainy season at Sofi, 
and of exploring the various rivers of Abyssinia at 
the earliest opportunity. Atalan Wat Said promised 
every assistance when the time should arrive; he 
described the country as abounding with large game 
of all kinds, and he agreed to furnish me with guides 
and hunters at the commencement of the hunting 
season; in the mean time he ordered the sheik of the 
village, Hassan bel Kader, to pay us every attention. 

After the departure of Atalan and his people, 


144 


POSITION OF SOFT 


[CHAr. VII. 


amid the usual yelling of the women, we had time to 
examine Sofi, and accompanied by the German, 
Florian, we strolled through the village. At this 
position the slope of the valley towards the river was 
exceedingly gradual upon the west bank, until within 
a hundred and fifty yards of the Atbara, when the 
ground rapidly fell, and terminated in an abrupt 
cliff of white sandstone. 

The miserable little village of modern Sofi com¬ 
prised about thirty straw huts, but the situation was 
worthy of a more important settlement. A plateau 
of hard sandy soil of about twenty acres was bordered 
upon either side by two deep ravines that formed a 
natural protection, while below the steep cliff, within 
two hundred paces in front of the village, flowed the 
river Atbara; for mounted men there was only one 
approach, that which we had taken from the main¬ 
land. There could not have been a more inviting 
spot adopted for a resting-place during the rains. 
Although the soil was thoroughly denuded of loam, 
and nothing remained but the original substratum of 
sandstone and pebbles, the grass was at this season 
about three inches high throughout the entire valJey 
of the Atbara, the trees were in full leaf, and the 
vivid green, contrasting with the snow-white sandstone 
rocks, produced the effect of an ornamental park. 
My tents were pitched upon a level piece of ground, 
outside the village, about a hundred paces from the 
river, where the grass had been so closely nibbled by 
the goats that it formed a natural lawn, and was 


chap, vii.] FLORIAN THE GERMAN SETTLER. H5 

perfection for a camp; drains were dug around the 
tent walls, and everything was arranged for a per¬ 
manency. I agreed with the sheik for the erection 
of a comfortable hut for ourselves, a kitchen adjoining, 
and a hut for the servants, as the heavy storms were 
too severe for a life under canvas; in the mean 
time we sat in our tent, and had a quiet chat with 
Florian the German. 

He was a sallow, sickly-looking man, who with 
a large bony frame had been reduced from constant 
hard work and frequent sickness to little but skin 
and sinew ; he was a mason, who had left Germany 
with the Austrian Mission to Khartoum, but finding 
the work too laborious in such a climate, he and a 
friend, who was a carpenter, had declared for inde¬ 
pendence, and they had left the Mission. 

They were both enterprising fellows, afid sportsmen, 
therefore they had purchased rifles and ammunition, 
and had commenced life as hunters; at the same 
time they employed their leisure hours in earning 
money by the work of their hands in various ways. 
Florian, being a stonemason, had of course built his 
hut of stone ; he was a fair blacksmith and carpenter, 
and was well provided with tools ; but his principal 
occupation was whipmaking, from the hides of hip¬ 
popotami. As coorbatches were required throughout 
the country there was an extensive demand for his 
oamel-whips, which were far superior to those of 
native manufacture ; these he sold to the Arabs at 
about two shillings each. He had lately met with 


L 


146 


THE CATTLE FLY. 


[chap. VII. 


a serious accident by tlie bursting of one of tlie 
wretched guns that formed his sporting battery; this 
had blown away his thumb from the wrist joint, and 
had so shattered his hand that it would most likely 
have suffered amputation had he enjoyed the advan¬ 
tage of European surgical assistance ; but with the 
simple aid of his young black lad, Eicharn, who cut 
off the dangling thumb and flesh with his knife, he 
had preserved his hand, minus one portion. 

Elorian had had considerable experience in some 
parts of the country that I was about to visit, and he 
gave me much valuable information that was of great 
assistance in directing my first operations. The close 
of the rainy season would be about the middle of 
September, but travelling would be impossible until 
November, as the fly would not quit the country 
until the grass should become dry, therefore the Arabs 
would not return with their camels until that period. 

It appeared that this peculiar fly, which tortured 
all domestic animals, invaded the country shortly after 
the commencement of the rains, when the grass was 
about two feet high ; a few had already been seen, but 
Sofi was a favoured spot, that was generally exempt 
from this plague, which clung more particularly to 
the flat and rich table-lands, where the quality of 
grass was totally different to that produced upon the 
pebbly and denuded soil of the sandstone slopes of 
the valley. The grass of the slopes was exceedingly 
fine, and would not exceed a height of about two feet, 
while that of the table-lands would exceed nine feet. 


chap. vii.j PECULIARITIES OF THE SEASONS. 


14 7 


and become impassable, until sufficiently dry to be 
cleared by fire. In November, the entire country 
would become a vast prairie of dried straw, tlie 
burning of wliicli would then render travelling and 
bunting possible. 

Florian bad bunted for some distance along the 
Settite river with bis companions, and bad killed 
fifty-three hippopotami during the last season. I 
therefore agreed that be should accompany me until 
I should have sufficiently explored that river, after 
which I proposed to examine the rivers Salaam and 
Angrab, of which great tributaries of the Atbara 
nothing definite was known, except that they joined 
that river about fifty miles south of Sofi. 

Florian described the country as very healthy 
during the dry season, but extremely dangerous 
during the rains, especially in the month of October, 
when, on the cessation of rain, the sun evaporated the 
moisture from the sodden ground and rank vegetation. 
I accordingly determined to arrange our winter 
quarters as comfortably as possible at Sofi, for three 
months, during which holiday I should have ample 
time for gaining information and completing my 
arrangements for the future. Violent storms were 
now of daily occurrence; they had first commenced 
at about 2 p.m., but they had gradually altered the 
hour of their arrival to between 3 and 4. This 
night, 29tli July, we were visited at about 11 p.m. 
with the most tremendous tempest that we had yet 
experienced, which lasted until the morning. For- 
L 2 


148 


THE NEW CAMP. 


[chap, vi r. 


tunately the tent was well secured with four powerful 
storm-ropes fastened from the top of the pole, and 
pinned about twenty-five yards from the base to 
iron bars driven deep into the hard ground; but the 
night was passed in the discomforts of a deluge that, 
driven by the hurricane, swept through the tent, which 
threatened every minute to desert us in shreds. On 
the following morning the storm had passed away, 
and the small tent had done likewise, having been 
blown down and carried many yards from the spot 
where it had been pitched. Mahomet, who was the 
occupant, had found himself suddenly enveloped in 
wet canvas, from which he had emerged, like a frog 
in the storm. There was no time to be lost in com¬ 
pleting my permanent camp; I therefore sent for the 
sheik of the village, and proceeded to purchase a 
house. I accompanied him through the narrow lanes 
of Sofi, and was quickly shown a remarkably neat 
house, which I succeeded in purchasing from the 
owner for the sum of ten piastres (two shillings). 
This did not seem an extravagant outlay for a neat 
dwelling with a sound roof; neither were there any 
legal expenses in the form of conveyance, as in that 
happy and practical land the simple form of con¬ 
veyance is the transportation of the house (the roof), 
upon the shoulders of about thirty men, and thus it 
is conveyed to any spot that the purchaser may con¬ 
sider desirable. Accordingly, our mansion was at 
once seized by a crowd of Arabs, and carried off in 
triumph, while the sticks that formed the wall were 


CHAP. VII.] 


I BECOME A HOUSEHOLDER . 


149 


quickly arranged upon the site I had chosen for our 
camp. In the short space of about three hours I 
found myself the proprietor of an eligible freehold 
residence, situated upon an eminence in park-like 
grounds, commanding extensive and romantic views 
of the beautifully-wooded valley of the Atbara, within 
a minute's walk of the neighbouring village of Sofi, 
perfect immunity from all poor-rates, tithes, taxes, 
and other public burthens, not more than 2,000 miles 
from a church, with the advantage of a post-town 
at the easy distance of seventy leagues. The manor 
comprised the right of shooting throughout the parishes 
of Abyssinia and Soudan, plentifully stocked with 
elephants, lions, rhinoceros, giraffes, buffaloes, hippo¬ 
potami, leopards, and a great variety of antelopes, 
while the right of fishing extended throughout the 
Atbara and neighbouring rivers, that were well stocked 
with fish ranging from five to a hundred and fifty 
pounds ; also with turtles and crocodiles. 

The mansion comprised entrance-hall, dining-room, 
drawing-room, lady's boudoir, library, breakfast-room, 
bedroom and dressing-room (with the great advantage 
of their combination in one circular room fourteen 
feet in diameter). The architecture was of an ancient 
style, from the original design of a pill-box surmounted 
by a candle extinguisher. 

Thus might my estate have been described by an 
English estate agent and auctioneer, with a better 
foundation of fact than many newspaper advertise¬ 
ments. 


] 50 ARRANGEMENT OF 0 UR ESTABLISHMENT, [chap. vii. 

I purchased two additional liuts, one of which was 
erected at the back (if a circle has a back) of our 
mansion, as the kitchen, while the other at a greater 
distance formed the “servants’ hall.” We all worked 
hard for several days in beautifying our house and 
grounds. In the lovely short grass that resembled 
green velvet, we cut walks to the edge of a declivity, 
and surrounded the house with a path of snow-white 
sand, resembling coarsely pounded sugar; this we 
obtained from some decomposed sandstone rock which 
crumbled upon the slightest pressure. We collected 
curiously-shaped blocks of rock, and masses of fossil 
wood that were imbedded in the sandstone; these we 
formed into borders for our walks, and opposite to our 
front door (there was no back door) we arranged a 
half-circle or “carriage drive,” of white sand to the 
extreme edge of the declivity which we bordered with 
large rocks; one of which I believe may remain to this 
day, as I carried it to the spot to form a seat, and 
liiy vanity was touched by the fact that it required 
two Arabs to raise it from the ground. I made a 
rustic table of split bamboos, and two garden seats 
opposite the entrance of the house, and we collected 
a number of wild plants and bulbs which we planted 
in little beds; we also sowed the seeds of different 
gourds that were to climb upon our roof. 

In the course of a week we had formed as pretty 
a camp as Robinson Crusoe himself could have 
coveted; but he, poor unfortunate, had only his man 
Friday to assist him, while in our arrangements there 


CHAP. VII.] 


MY 11 baby: 


151 


were many charms and indescribable little comforts 
that could only be effected by a ladys hand. Not 
only were our walks covered with snow-white sand 
and the borders ornamented with beautiful agates that 
we had collected in the neighbourhood, but the interior 
of our house was the perfection of neatness ; the floor 
was covered with white sand beaten firmly together to 
the depth of about six inches, the surface was swept 
and replaced with fresh material daily ; the travelling 
bedsteads, with their bright green mosquito curtains, 
stood on either side, affording a clear space in the 
centre of the circle, while exactly opposite the door 
stood the gun-rack, with as goodly array of weapons 
as the heart of a sportsman could desire :— 

My little Fletcher double rifle, No. 24. 

One double rifle, No. 10, by Tatham. 

Two double rifles, No. 10, by Reilly. 

One double rifle, No. 10, by Beattie (one of my 
old Ceylon tools.) 

One double gun, No. 10, by Beattie. 

One double gun, No. 10, by Purdey, belonging to 
Mr. Oswell, of South African celebrity. 

One single rifle, No. 8, by Manton. 

One single rifle, No. 14, by Beattie. 

One single rifle, that carried a half-pound explosive 
shell, by Holland of Bond Street; this was nick¬ 
named by the Arabs “Jenna el Mootfah” (child of 
a cannon), and for the sake of brevity I called it 
the “Baby." 

My revolver and a brace of double-barrelled pistols 


1 52 AN AFRICAN ELYSIUM. [chap. vii. 

Ti lin g upon tlie wall, which, although the exterior of 
the house was straw, we had lined with the bright 
coloured canvas of the tent. Suspended by loops 
were little ornamental baskets worked by the Arabs, 
that contained a host of useful articles, such as 
needles, thread, &c. &c.; and the remaining surface 
was hung with hunting knives, fishing lines, and a 
variety of instruments belonging to the chase. A 
travelling table, with maps and a few books, stood 
against the wall, and one more article completed 
our furniture,—an exceedingly neat toilette table, the 
base of which was a flat-topped portmanteau, con¬ 
cealed by a cunning device of chintz and muslin ; 
this, covered with the usual arrangement of brushes, 
mirror, and scent-bottles, &c., threw an air of civili¬ 
zation over the establishment, which was increased 
by the presence of an immense sponging-batli, that, 
being flat and circular, could be fitted underneath a 
bed. In the draught of air next the door stood our 
filter in a wooden frame, beneath which was a 
porous jar that received and cooled the clear water 
as it fell. 

Our camp was a "perfect model; we had a view 
of about five miles in extent along the valley of the 
Atbara, and it was my daily amusement to scan with 
my telescope the uninhabited country upon the op¬ 
posite side of the river, and’watch the wild animals 
as they grazed in perfect security. I regret that at 
that time I did not smoke ; in the cool of the evening: 
we used to sit by the bamboo table outside the door 


CHAP. VII.] 


NO PIPE! 


153 


of our house, and drink our coffee in perfect content¬ 
ment amidst the beautiful scene of a tropical sunset 
and the deep shadows in the valley; but a pipe !—the 
long “ chibbook ” of the Turk would have made our 
home a Paradise ! Nevertheless we were thoroughly 
happy at Sofi ;—there was a delightful calm, and a sense 
of rest; a total estrangement from the cares of the 
world, and an enchanting contrast in the soft green 
verdure of the landscape before us to the many hun¬ 
dred weary miles of burning desert through which 
w r e had toiled from Lower Egypt. In those barren 
tracts, the eye had become so accustomed to sterility 
and yellow sand, that it had appeared impossible to 
change the scene, and Africa afforded no prospect 
beyond the blank hitherto shown upon the chart of 
the interior; we were now in a land of rich pastures, 
and apparently in another world, after the toil of a 
hard life;—it was the haven of a pilgrim, rest! 

"While we were enjoying a few months' repose, 
the elements were hard at work. Every day, with¬ 
out exception, and generally for several hours of 
the night, the lightning flashed and thunder roared 
with little intermission, while the rain poured in 
such torrents, that the entire country became per¬ 
fectly impassable, with the exception of the hard 
ground of the Atbara valley. The rich loam of 
the table-land had risen like leavened dough, and 
was knee-deep in adhesive mud; the grass upon 
this surface grew with such rapidity that in 
a few weeks it reached a height of nine or ten 


154 


THE ELEMENTS AT WORK. 


[chap. VII. 


feet. The mud rushed in torrents down the 
countless watercourses, which were now in their 
greatest activity in hurrying away the fertile 
soil of Egypt; and the glorious Atbara was at 
its maximum. 


CHAPTEE VIII. 

THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT. 

Time glided away smoothly at our camp amidst 
the storms of the rainy season. The Arabs bad 
nothing to do, and suffered much from the absence 
of tbeir herds, as there was a great scarcity of 
milk. The only animals that had not been sent 
to the north were a few goats; these were so 
teased by the flies that they produced but a small 
supply. Fever had appeared at the same time 
with the flies, and every one was suffering more 
or less, especially Florian, who was seriously ill. 
I was in full practice as physician, and we con¬ 
gratulated ourselves upon the healthiness of our 
little isolated camp, when suddenly my wife was 
prostrated by a severe attack of gastric fever, which 
for nine days rendered her recovery almost hopeless. 
At length the fever gave way to careful attendance, 
and my Arab patients and Florian were also in a 
fair way towards recovery. The plagues of Egypt 
were upon us; the common house-flies were in 
billions, in addition to the cattle-tormentor. Our 


156 


GO INTO HALF MOURNING. 


[chap. VIII. 


donkeys would not graze, but stood day and night 
in the dense smoke of fires, made of sticks and 
green grass, for protection. 

The plague of boils broke out, and every one 
was attacked more or less severely. Then came a 
plague of which Moses must have been ignorant, 
or he would surely have inflicted it upon Pharaoh. 
This was a species of itch, which affected all ages 
and both sexes equally; it attacked all parts of 
the body, but principally the extremities. The irri¬ 
tation was beyond description; small vesicles rose 
above the skin, containing a watery fluid, which, 
upon bursting, appeared to spread the disease. The 
Arabs had no control over this malady, which they 
called “ coorash,” and the whole country was scratch¬ 
ing. The popular belief attributed the disease to 
the water of the Atbara at this particular season ; 
although a horrible plague, I do not believe it to 
have any connexion with the well-known itch or 
“scabies” of Europe. 

I adopted a remedy that I had found a specific for 
mange in dogs, and this treatment became equally 
successful in cases of coorash. Gunpowder, with 
the addition of one fourth of sulphur, made into 
a soft paste with water, and then formed into an 
ointment with fat: this should be rubbed over the 
whole body. The effect upon a black man is that 
of a well-cleaned boot—upon a white man it is 
still more striking; but it quickly cures the malady. 
I went into half mourning by this process, and I 


CHAP. VIII.] 


CHILD OF THE FEVER: 


157 


should have adopted deep mourning had it been 
necessary ; I was only attacked from the feet to a 
little above the knees. Florian was in a dreadful 
state, and the vigorous and peculiar action of his 
arms at once explained the origin of the term, 
“Scotch fiddle,” the musical instrument commonly 
attributed to the north of Great Britain. 

The Arabs are wretchedly ignorant of the heal¬ 
ing art, and they suffer accordingly. At least fifty 
per cent, of the. population in Sofi had a permanent 
enlargement of the spleen, which could be felt with 
a slight pressure of the hand, frequently as large 
as an orange; this was called “Jenna el Wirde” 
(child of the fever), and was the result of constant 
attacks of fever in successive rainy seasons. 

Faith is the drug that is supposed to cure the 
Arab; whatever his complaint may be, he applies 
to his Faky, or priest. This minister is not troubled 
with a confusion of book-learning, neither are 
the shelves of his library bending beneath weighty 
treatises upon the various maladies of human nature ; 
but he possesses the key to all learning, the talis¬ 
man that will apply to all cases, in that one holy 
book the Koran. This is his complete pharmacopoeia : 
his medicine chest, combining purgatives, blisters, 
sudorifics, styptics, narcotics, emetics, and all that 
the most profound M.D. could prescribe. With this 
“ multum in parvo ” stock-in-trade the Faky receives 
his patients. No. 1 arrives, a barren woman who re¬ 
quests some medicine that will promote the blessing 


158 


THE ARAB M.D. 


[chap. VIII. 


of childbirth. No. 2, a man who was strong in his 
youth, but from excessive dissipation has become 
useless. No. 3, a man deformed from his birth, who 
wishes to become straight as other men. No. 4, a 
blind child. No. 5, a dying old woman, carried 
on a litter; and sundry other impossible cases, with 
others of a more simple character. 

The Faky produces his book, the holy Koran, and 
with a pen formed of a reed he proceeds to write 
a prescription; not to be made up by an apothecary, 
as such dangerous people do not exist, but the pre¬ 
scription itself is to be swcdloivedj Upon a smooth 
board, like a slate, he rubs sufficient lime to produce 
a perfectly white surface; upon this he writes in 
large characters, with thick glutinous ink, a verse or 
verses from the Koran, that he considers applicable 
to the case; this completed, he washes off the holy 
quotation, and converts it into a potation by the 
addition of a little water; this is swallowed in 
perfect faith by the patient, who in return pays a 
fee according to the demand of the Faky. Of 
course it cannot be supposed that this effects a cure, 
or that it is in any way superior to the prescriptions 
of a thorough-bred English doctor; the only advan¬ 
tage possessed by the system is complete innocence, 
in which it may perhaps claim a superiority. If 
no good result is attained by the first holy dose, 
the patient returns with undiminished confidence, 
and the prescription is repeated as “the draught 
as before/' well known to the physic-drinkers of 


chap. viii. j ARAB FONDNESS FOR RELICS. 159 

England, and in like manner attended with the bill. 
The Fakeers make a considerable amount by this 
simple practice, and they add to their small earnings 
by the sale of verses of the Koran as talismans. 

As few people can read or write, there is an air 
of mystery in the art of writing which much en¬ 
hances the value of a scrap of paper upon which 
is written a verse from the Koran. A few piastres 
are willingly expended in the purchase of such 
talismans, which are carefully and very neatly sewn 
into small envelops of leather, and are worn by 
all people, being handed down from father to son. 

The Arabs are especially fond of relics; thus, upon 
the return from a pilgrimage to Mecca, the “ hadji,” 
or pilgrim, is certain to have purchased from some 
religious Faky of the sacred shrine either a few 
square inches of cloth, or some such trifle, that 
belonged to the prophet Mahomet. This is exhibited 
to his friends and strangers as a wonderful spell 
against some particular malady, and it is handed 
about and received with extreme reverence by the 
assembled crowd. I once formed one of a circle 
when a pilgrim returned to his native village : we 
sat in a considerable number upon the ground, while 
he drew from his bosom a leather envelop, suspended 
from his neck, from which he produced a piece of 
extremely greasy woollen cloth, about three inches 
square, the original colour of which it would have 
been impossible to guess. This was a piece of 
Mahomet’s garment, but what portion he could not 


160 THE PEST SPOTS OF THE WORLD. [chap. VIII. 

say. The pilgrim had paid largely for this blessed 
relic, and it was passed round our circle- from hand 
to hand, after having first been kissed by the pro¬ 
prietor, who raised it to the crown of his head, 
which he touched with the cloth, and then wiped 
both his eyes. Each person who received it went 
through a similar performance, and as ophthalmia and 
other diseases of the eyes were extremely prevalent, 
several of the party had eyes that had not the 
brightness of the gazelle's; nevertheless, these were 
supposed to become brighter after having been wiped 
by the holy cloth. How many eyes this same piece 
of cloth had wiped it would be impossible to say, 
but such facts are sufficient to prove the danger of 
holy relics, that are inoculators of all manner of 
contagious diseases. 

I believe in holy shrines as the j>est spots 
of the world. We generally have experienced in 
Western Europe that all violent epidemics arrive 
from the East. The great breadth of the Atlantic 
boundary would naturally protect us from the West, 
but infectious disorders, such as plague, cholera, 
small-pox, &c. may be generally tracked through¬ 
out their gradations from,their original nests; those 
nests are in the East, where the heat of the climate 
acting upon the filth of semi-savage communities 
engenders pestilence. 

The holy places of both Christians and Maho¬ 
metans are the receptacles for the masses of people 
of all nations and classes who have arrived from 


chap. Yin .] THE BANGERS OF HOLY SHRINES. 161 

all points of the compass ; the greater number of 
such people are of poor estate ; many, who have 
toiled on foot from immense distances, suffering from 
hunger and fatigue, and bringing with them not 
only the diseases of their own remote countries, but 
arriving in that weak state that courts the attack 
of any epidemic. Thus crowded together, with a 
scarcity of provisions, a want of water, arid no 
possibility of cleanliness ; with clothes that have 
been unwashed for weeks or months; in a camp 
of dirty pilgrims, without an attempt at drainage, 
an accumulation of filth takes place that generates 
either cholera or typhus ; the latter, in its most 
malignant form, appears as the dreaded “ plague ” 
Should such an epidemic attack the mass of pilgrims 
debilitated by the want of nourishing food, and ex¬ 
hausted by their fatiguing march, it runs riot like 
a fire among combustibles, and the loss of life is 
terrific. The survivors radiate from this common 
centre, upon their return to their respective homes, 
to which they carry the seeds of the pestilence to 
germinate upon new soils in different countries. 
Doubtless the clothes of the dead furnish materials 
for innumerable holy relics as vestiges of the ward¬ 
robe of the Prophet ; these are disseminated by 
the pilgrims throughout all countries, pregnant with 
disease; and, being brought inta personal contact 
with hosts of true believers, Pandora's box could 
not be more fatal. 

Not only are relics upon a pocket scale conveyed 


M 


162 ARRIVAL OF THF HOLY BODY. [chap. viii. 

by pilgrims, and reverenced by the Arabs, but the 
body of any Faky, who in lifetime was considered 
extra lioly, is brought from a great distance to be 
interred in some particular spot. In countries where 
a tree is a rarity, a plank for a coffin is unknown ; 
thus the reverend Faky, who may have died of 
typhus, is wrapped in cloths and packed in a mat. 
In this form he is transported, perhaps, some hun¬ 
dred miles, slung upon a camel, with the ther¬ 
mometer above 130° Fahr. in the sun, and he is 
conveyed to the village that is so fortunate as to 
be honoured with his remains. It may be readily 
imagined that with a favourable wind, the inhabi¬ 
tants are warned of his approach some time before 
his arrival. Happily, long before we arrived at 
Sofi, the village had been blessed by the death of 
a celebrated Faky, a holy man who would have been 
described as a second Isaiah were the annals of the 
country duly chronicled. This great “man of God,” 
as he was termed, had departed this life at a 
village on the borders of the Nile, about eight days 
hard camel-journey from Sofi; but from some as¬ 
sumed right, mingled no doubt with jobbery, the 
inhabitants of Sofi had laid claim to his body, and 
he had arrived upon a camel horizontally, and had 
been buried about fifty yards from our present 
camp. His grave was beneath a clump of mimosas 
that shaded the spot, and formed the most pro¬ 
minent object in the foreground of our landscape. 
Thither every Friday the women of the village con- 


CHAP. YIII.] 


THE FAKT'S GRAVE. 


163 


gregated, with, offerings of a few handfuls of dhurra 
in small gourd-shells, which they laid upon the 
grave, while they ate the holy earth in small 
pinches, which they scraped like rabbits, from a 
hole they had burrowed towards the venerated corpse; 
this hole was about two feet deep from continual 
scratching, and must have been very near the Faky. 

Although bamboos did not grow in Sofi, great 
numbers were brought down by the river during 
the rains ; these were eagerly collected by the 
Arabs, and the grave of the Faky was ornamented 
with selected specimens, upon which were hung 
small pieces of rag-like banners. The people could 
not explain why they were thus ornamented, but I 
imagine the custom had originated from the necessity 
of scaring the wild animals that might have ex¬ 
humed the body. 

Although the grave of this revered Faky was 
considered a sacred spot, the women had a curious 
custom that we should not consider an honour to 
the sanctity of the place : they met in parties be¬ 
neath the shade of the mimosas that covered the 
grave, for the express purpose of freeing each other s 
heads from vermin; the creatures thus caught, in¬ 
stead of being killed, were turned loose upon the 
Faky. 

Although the Arabs in places remote from the 
immediate action of the Egyptian authorities are 
generally lawless, they are extremely obedient to 
their own sheiks, and especially to the fakeers: 

M 2 


164 ARAB DOCTORING . [chap. viii. 

thus it is important to secure such heads of the 
people as friends. My success as a physician had 
gained me many friends, as I studiously avoided the 
acceptance of any present in return for my services, 
which I wished them to receive as simple acts of 
kindness ; thus I had placed the Sheik Hassan bel 
Kader under an obligation, by curing him of a fever; 
and as he chanced to combine in his own person 
the titles of both sheik and faky, I had acquired 
a great ascendancy in the village, as my medicines 
had proved more efficacious than the talismans. 
“ Physician, cure thyself,” applied to the Faky, who 
found three grains of my tartar emetic more power¬ 
ful than a whole chapter of the Koran. 

"We frequently had medical discussions, and the 
contents of my large medicine-chest were examined 
with wonder by a curious crowd; the simple effect 
of mixing a'seidlitz powder was a source of astonish¬ 
ment ; but a few drops of sulphuric acid upon a 
piece of strong cotton cloth, which it destroyed 
immediately, was a miracle that invested the medi¬ 
cine-chest with a specific character for all diseases. 
The Arab style of doctoring is rather rough. If a 
hors.e or other animal has inflammation, they hobble 
the legs and throw it upon the ground, after which 
operation a number of men kick it in the belly 
-until it is relieved—(by death). Should ' a man be 
attacked with fever, his friends prescribe a system 
of diet, in addition to the Koran of the Faky : he 
is made to drink, as hot as he can swallow it. 


chap, viii.] DELIGHTS OF ARAB SURGERY. ]65 

about a quart of melted sheep’s fat or butter. 
Young dogs, as a cure for distemper, are thrown from 
the roof of a house to the ground—a height of about 
ten feet. One night we were sitting at dinner, when 
we suddenly heard a great noise, and the air was 
illumined by the blaze of a hut on fire. In the 
midst of the tumult I heard the unmistakable cries 
of dogs, and thinking that they were unable to escape 
from the fire, I ran towards the spot. As I ap¬ 
proached, first one and then another dog ran 
screaming from the flames, until a regular pack of 
about twenty scorched animals appeared in quick 
succession, all half mad with fright and fire. I was 
informed that hydrophobia was very prevalent in 
the country, and that the certain preventive from 
that frightful malady was to make all the dogs of 
the village pass through the fire. Accordingly an 
old hut had been filled with straw and fired; after 
which, each dog was brought by its owner and 
thrown into the flames. Upon another occasion I 
heard a great yelling and commotion, and I found 
Mahomet’s “ mother’s brother’s cousin’s sister’s 
mother’s son,” Achmet, struggling on the ground, and 
nearly overpowered by a number of Arabs, who were 
determined to operate upon a large boil in his groin, 
which they had condemned to be squeezed, although 
it was not in a state that admitted of such treatment. 
The patient was biting and kicking liberally on all 
sides in self-defence, and his obstinate surgeons could 
hardly be persuaded to desist. 


166 


THE PIG AND THE KORAN. 


[chap. VIII. 


Syphilis is common throughout the country, and 
there are several varieties of food that are supposed to 
effect a cure. A sheep is killed, and the entire flesh 
is cooked with the fat, being cut into small pieces and 
baked in a pot; several pounds of butter or other 
grease are then boiled, and in that state are poured 
into the jars containing the baked meat; the patient 
is then shut up by himself in a hut with this large 
quantity of fat food, with which he is to gorge himself 
until the whole is consumed. Another supposed cure 
for the same disease, is a pig dressed in a similar 
manner, which meat, although forbidden by the Koran, 
may be taken medicinally. The flesh of the crocodile 
is eaten greedily, being supposed to promote desire. 
There are few animals that the Arabs of the Nubian 
provinces will refuse ; the wild boar is invariably 
eaten by the Arab hunters, although in direct opposi¬ 
tion to the rules of the Koran. I once asked them 
what their Faky would say if he were aware of such a 
transgression ? “ Oh! ” they replied, “ we have already 
asked his permission, as we are sometimes severely 
pressed for food in the jungles ; he says, ‘ If you have 
the Koran in your hand and no pig , you are forbidden 
to eat pork ; but if you have the pig in your hand 
and no Koran , you had better eat what God has given 
you/ ” 

This is a charming example of simplicity in theo¬ 
logical discussion that might perhaps be followed with 
advantage in graver questions; we might cease to 
strain at the gnats and swallow our pigs. 


chap. viii. J SWORD HUNTERS OF THE HAM RAN ARABS. \ 67 

I had an audience of a party of hunters whom I 
had long wished to meet. Before my arrival at Sofi 
I had heard of a particular tribe of Arabs that in¬ 
habited the country south of Cassala, between that 
town and the Base country ; these were the Hamrans, 
who were described as the most extraordinary Nim- 
rods, who hunted and killed all wild animals, from the 
antelope to the elephant, with no other weapon than 
the sword; the lion and the rhinoceros fell alike be¬ 
fore the invincible sabres of these mighty hunters, to 
whom as an old elephant-hunter I wished to make my 
salaam, and humbly confess my inferiority. 

From the manner in which their exploits had been 
hitherto explained to me, I could not understand how 
it could be possible to kill an elephant with the sword, 
unless the animal should be mobbed by a crowd of 
men and hacked to death, but I was assured that the 
most savage elephant had no chance upon good riding 
ground against four aggageers (as the hunters with 
the sword are designated). I had determined to 
engage a party of these hunters to accompany me 
throughout my exploration of the Abyssinian rivers 
at the proper season, when I should have an 
excellent opportunity of combining sport with an 
examination of the country. My intentions had be¬ 
come known, and the visit of the hunters was the 
consequence. 

The Hamran Arabs are distinguished from the 
other tribes by an extra length of hair, worn parted 
dawn the centre, and arranged in long curls; other- 


168 


THE ARAB SHIELDS. 


[chap. VIII. 


wise, there is no perceptible difference in their ap¬ 
pearance from other Arabs. They are armed, as are 
all others, with swords and shields; the latter are 
circular, and are generally formed of rhinoceros hide. 
There are two forms of shields used by the various 
tribes of Arabs; one is a narrow oval, about four feet 
in length, of either bull's or buffalo's hide, stiffened 
by a strong stick which passes down the centre; the 
other is circular, about two feet in diameter, with a 
projection in the centre as a protection for the hand. 
When laid flat upon the ground, the shield somewhat 
resembles an immensely broad-brimmed hat, with a 
low crown terminating in a point. In the inside of 
the crown is a strong bar of leather as a grip for 
the hand, while the outside is generally guarded by 
a strip of the scaly hide of a crocodile. 

The skins most prized for shields are those of the 
giraffe and the rhinoceros; those of the buffalo and 
elephant are likewise in general use, but they are 
considered inferior to the former, while the hide of 
the hippopotamus is too thick and heavy. 

The hide of the giraffe is wonderfully tough, and 
combines the great advantage of extreme lightness 
with strength. The Arabs never ornament their 
shields; they are made for rough and actual service, 
and the gashes upon many are proofs of the necessity 
of such a protection for the owner. 

Although there are two patterns of shields among 
the Arabs, there is no difference in the form of their 
swords, which simply vary in size according to the 


chap. viii. J HINTS FOR CARRYING THE SWORE. 169 

strength of the wearer. The blade is long and straight, 
two-edged, with a simple cross handle, having no 
other guard for the hand than the plain bar, which 
at right angles with the hilt forms the cross. I 
believe this form was adopted after the Crusades, 
when the long, straight, cross-handled blades of the 
Christian knights left an impression behind them 
that established the fashion. All these blades are 
manufactured at Sollingen, and are exported to 
Egypt for the trade of the interior. Of course they 
differ in quality and price, but they are of excellent 
temper. The Arabs are extremely proud of a good 
sword, and a blade of great value is carefully handed 
down through many generations. The sheiks and 
principal people wear silver-hilted swords. The scab¬ 
bards are usually formed of two thin strips of elastic 
but soft wood, covered with leather. No Arab would 
accept a metal scabbard, as it would destroy the keen 
edge of his weapon. The greatest care is taken in 
sharpening the swords. While on the march, the 
Arab carries his weapon slung on the pommel of 
his saddle, from which it passes beneath his thigh. 
There are two projecting pieces of leather, about 
twelve inches apart, upon the scabbard, between 
which the thigh of the horseman fits, and thus 
prevents the sword from slipping from its place. 
Carried in this position, at full speed there is an 
absence of that absurd dangling and jumping of the 
sword that is exhibited in our British cavalry, and 
the weapon seems to form a portion of the rider. 


[chap. VIII. 


170 KEENNESS OF TELE EDGE . 

The first action of an Arab when he dismounts at a 
halt upon the march, and sits beneath a tree, is to 
draw his sword ; and after trying both edges with 
his thumb, he carefully strops the blade to and fro 
upon his shield until a satisfactory proof of the edge 
is made by shaving the hair off his arm, after which 
it is returned to the sheath. I have measured 
these swords; that of a fair average size is three 
feet in the length of blade, and one inch and 
seven-eighths in breadth; the hilt, from the top 
of the guard to the extremity, five and a half 
inches. Thus the sword complete would be about 
three feet five or six inches. Such a weapon 
possesses immense power, as the edge is nearly 
as sharp as a razor. But the Arabs have not 
the slightest knowledge of swordsmanship ; they 
never parry with the blade, but trust entirely to the 
shield, and content themselves with slashing either 
at their adversary or at the animal that he rides; 
one good cut delivered by a powerful arm would 
sever a man at the waist like a carrot. The Arabs 
are not very powerful men; they are extremely light 
and active, and generally average about five feet eight 
inches in height. But their swords are far too heavy 
for their strength; and although they can deliver a 
severe cut, they cannot recover the sword sufficiently 
quick to parry, therefore they are contented with the 
shield as their only guard. If opposed to a good 
swordsman they would be perfectly at his mercy, as 
a feint at the head causes them to raise the shield; 


CHAP. VIII.] 


ARAD SWORDSMANSHIP. 


171 


this prevents them from seeing the point, that would 
immediately pass through the body. 

Notwithstanding their deficiency in the art of 
the sword, they are wonderful fellows to cut and 
slash, and when the sharp edge of the heavy weapon 
touches an enemy, the effect is terrible. 

The elephant-hunters, or aggageers, exhibited their 
swords, which differed in no respect from those usually 
worn; but they were bound with cord very closely 
from the guard for about nine inches along the blade, 
to enable them to be grasped by the right hand, while 
the hilt was held by the left; the weapon was thus 
converted into a two-handed sword. The scabbards 
were strengthened by an extra covering, formed of 
the skin of the elephant’s ear. 

In a long conversation with these men, I found 
a corroboration of all that I had previously heard of 
their exploits, and they described the various methods 
of killing the elephant with the sword. Those hunters 
who could not afford to purchase horses hunted on 
foot, in parties not exceeding two persons. Their 
method was to follow the tracks of an elephant, so 
as to arrive at their game between the hours of 
10 a.m. and noon, at which time the animal is either 
asleep, or extremely listless, and easy to approach. 
Should they discover the animal asleep, one of the 
hunters would creep stealthily towards the head, and 
with one blow sever the trunk while stretched upon 
the ground; in which case, the elephant would start 
upon his feet, while the hunters escaped in the con- 


[chap. VIII. 


172 THE AGGAGEERS. 

fusion of the moment. The trunk severed would 
cause a hsemorrhage sufficient to insure the death of 
the elephant within about an hour. On the other 
hand, should the animal be awake upon their arrival, 
it would be impossible to approach the trunk; in such 
a case, they would creep up from behind, and give a 
tremendous cut at the back sinew of the hind leg, 
about a foot above the heel. Such a blow would 
disable the elephant at once, and would render com¬ 
paratively easy a second cut to the remaining leg ; 
the arteries being divided, the animal would quickly 
bleed to death. These were the methods adopted by 
poor hunters, until, by the sale of ivory, they could 
purchase horses for the higher branch of the art. 
Provided with horses, the party of hunters should 
not exceed four. They start before daybreak, and 
ride slowly throughout the country in search of 
elephants, generally keeping along the course of a 
river until they come upon the tracks where a herd 
or a single elephant may have drunk during the night. 
When once upon the tracks, they follow fast towards 
the retreating game. The elephants may be twenty 
miles distant; but it matters little to the aggageers. 
At length they discover them, and the hunt begins. 
The first step is to single out the bull with the largest 
tusks ; this is the commencement of the fight. After 
a short hunt, the elephant turns upon his pursuers, 
who scatter and fly from his headlong charge until 
he gives up the pursuit; he at length turns to bay 
when again pressed by the hunters. It is the duty 


chap, viii.] ELEPHANT HUNTING WITH THE SWORD. 1J3 

of one man in particular to ride up close to tlie 
head of the elephant, and thus to absorb its atten¬ 
tion upon himself. This insures a desperate charge. 
The greatest coolness and dexterity are then required 
by the hunter, who now, the hunted , must so adapt 
the speed of his horse to the pace of the elephant, 
that the enraged beast gains in the race until it 
almost reaches the tail of the horse. In this manner 
the race continues. In the mean time, two hunters 
gallop up behind the elephant, unseen by the animal, 
whose attention is completely directed to the horse 
almost within his grasp. With extreme agility, when 
close to the heels of the elephant, one of the hunters, 
while at full speed, springs to the ground with his 
drawn sword, as his companion seizes the bridle, and 
with one dexterous two-handed blow he severs the 
back sinew. He immediately jumps out of the way 
and remounts his horse ; but if the blow is successful, 
the elephant becomes disabled by the first pressure of 
its foot upon the ground; the enormous weight of the 
animal dislocates the joint, and it is rendered helpless. 
The hunter who has hitherto led the elephant imme¬ 
diately turns, and riding to within a few feet of the 
trunk, he induces the animal to attempt another 
charge. This, clumsily made, affords an easy oppor¬ 
tunity for the aggageers behind to slash the sinew 
of the remaining leg, and the immense brute is 
reduced to a stand-still; it dies of loss of blood in 
a short time, thus positively hilled by one man with 
two strokes of the sword ! 


174 DISABLED BY HIS OWN SWORD . [chap. viii. 

This extraordinary hunting is attended with super¬ 
lative danger, and the hunters frequently fall victims 
to their intrepidity. I felt inclined to take off my cap 
and make a low how to the gallant and swarthy 
fellows who sat before me, when I knew the tough¬ 
ness of their hearts and the activity of their limbs. 
One of them was disabled for life by a cut from his 
own sword, that had severed the knee-cap and bitten 
deep into the joint, leaving a scar that appeared as 
though the leg had been nearly off; he had missed his 
blow at the elephant, owing to the high and tough 
dried grass that had partially stopped the sword, and 
in springing upon one side, to avoid the animal that 
had turned upon him, he fell over his own sharp blade, 
which cut through the bone, and he lay helpless ; he 
was saved by one of his comrades, who immediately 
rushed in from behind, and with a desperate cut 
severed the back sinew of the elephant. As I listened 
to these fine fellows, who in a modest and unassuming 
manner recounted their adventures as matters of 
course, I felt exceedingly small. My whole life 
had been passed in wild sports from early man¬ 
hood, and I had imagined that I understood as 
much as most people of this subject; but here 
were men who, without the aid of the best rifles 
and deadly projectiles, went straight at their game, 
and faced the lion in his den with shield and sabre. 
There is a freemasonry among hunters, and my 
heart was drawn towards these aggageers. We 
fraternised upon the spot, and I looked forward 


CHAP. VIII.] 


MARIA THERESA. 


175 


with intense pleasure to the day when we might 
become allies in action. 

I have been rewarded by this alliance in being now 
able to speak of the deeds of others that far excel 
my own, and of bearing testimony to the wonderful 
courage and dexterity of these Nimrods, instead of 
continually relating anecdotes of dangers in the first 
person, which cannot be more disagreeable to the 
reader than to the narrator. 

Without inflicting a description of five months 
passed in Sofi, it will be necessary to make a few 
extracts from my journal, to convey an idea of the 
manner in which the time was occupied. 

“August 7, 1861. —There is plenty of game on the 
other side of the river, but nothing upon this; there 
are no means of crossing, as the stream is exceedingly 
strong, and about two hundred yards in width. We 
felled a tree for a canoe, but there is nothing worthy 
of the name of timber, and the wood is extremely 
heavy. 

“ There are several varieties of wild spinach, and a 
plant that makes a good salad, known by the Arabs as 
e Kegly ; 9 also wild onions as large as a mans fist, 
but uneatable. 

“ August 8. —I counted seventy-six giraffes on the 
opposite side of the river. This magnificent sight is 
most tantalizing. The sheik made his appearance 
to-day with a present of butter and honey, and some 
small money in exchange for dollars that I had given 
him. The Austrian dollar of Maria Theresa is the 


176 


GREAT FAILURE. 


[ciiap. yiii. 


only large coin current in this country ; the effigy of 
the empress, with a very low dress and a profusion of 
bust, is, I believe, the charm that suits the Arab taste. 
So particular are these people, that they reject the coin 
after careful examination, unless they can distinctly 
count seven dots that form the star upon the coronet. 
No clean money will pass current in this country; all 
coins must be dirty and gummy, otherwise they are 
rejected : this may be accounted for, as the Arabs 
have no method of detecting false money ; thus they 
are afraid to accept any new coin. 

“August 1 d.—Great failure! We launched the 
canoe, but although it was carefully hollowed out, the 
wood was so heavy that it would only carry one 
person, and even then it threatened to become a 
bathing-machine ; thus nine days’ hard work are lost. 
Florian is in despair, but ‘ Nil desperandum! ’ I 
shall set to work instanter, and make a raft. Counted 
twenty-eight giraffes on the opposite side of the river. 

“ August 17 .—I set to work at daybreak to make 
a raft of bamboo and inflated skins. There is a wood 
called ambatch (Anemone mirdbilis) that is brought 
down by the river from the upper country ; this is 
lighter than cork, and I have obtained four large 
pieces for my raft. Mahomet has been very saucy to¬ 
day ; he has been offensively impertinent for a loner 
time, so this morning I punched his head. 

“August 18 .—Launched the raft; it carries four 
persons safely, but the current is too strong, and it is 
therefore unmanageable. In the afternoon I shot a 


chap, viii.] THE BABOONS AND THE CROCODILE '. 177 

large crocodile on the other side of the river (about 
two hundred yards) with the little Fletcher rifle, 
and after struggling for some time upon the steep 
bank it rolled into the water. 

“ The large tamarind trees on the opposite bank are 
generally full of the dog-faced baboons ( Cynocephalus) 
in the evening, at their drinking-hour. I watched a 
large crocodile creep slily out of the water, and lie in 
waiting among the rocks at the usual drinking-place 
before they arrived, but the baboons were too wide 
awake to be taken in so easily. A young fellow was 
the first to discover the enemy; he had accompanied 
several wise and experienced old hands, to the 
extremity of a bough that at a considerable height 
overhung the river ; from this post they had a bird’s- 
eye view, and reconnoitred before one of the numerous 
party descended to drink. The sharp eyes of the 
young one at once detected the crocodile, who 
matched in colour so well with the rocks, that most 
probably a man would not have noticed it until too 
Late. At once the young one commenced shaking the 
bough and screaming with all his might to attract the 
attention of the crocodile, and to induce it to move. 
In this he was immediately joined by the whole party, 
who yelled in chorus, while the large old males bel¬ 
lowed defiance, and descended to the lowest branches 
within eight or ten feet of the crocodile. It was of no 
use—the pretender never stirred, and I watched it 
until dark; it remained still in the same place, waiting 
for some unfortunate baboon whose thirst might pro- 


178 


THE DROWNED ELEPHANT. 


[chap. VIII. 


yoke his fate; but not one was sufficiently foolish, 
although the perpendicular banks prevented them from 
drinking except at that particular spot. 

“ The birds in this country moult twice during the 
year, and those of the most brilliant colours exchange 
their gaudy hues for a sober grey or brown. Several 
varieties sing beautifully; the swallow also sings, 
although in Europe I have never heard it attempt 
more than its well-known twitter. 

“One of the mimosas yields an excellent fibre for 
rope-making, in which my people are busily engaged; 
the bark is as tough as leather, and forms an 
admirable material for the manufacture of sacks. This 
business is carried to a considerable extent by the 
Arabs, as there is a large demand for sacks of sufficient 
size to contain two hundred and fifty or three hundred 
pounds of gum arabic (half a camel load). Thus one 
sack slung upon each side can be packed easily to 
the animal. 

“ August 19 .—A dead elephant floated down the 
river to-day; this is the second that has passed within 
the last few days; they have been most probably 
drowned in attempting to cross some powerful torrent 
tributary to the Atbara. As usual, upon the fact 
becoming known, the entire village rushed out, and, 
despite the crocodiles, a crowd of men plunged into 
the river about a quarter of a mile below Sofi, and 
swimming out they intercepted the swollen carcase, 
which was quickly covered with people; they were 
carried several miles down the river before they could 


CHAP. VIII.] 


GAME ON THE EAST BANK. 


179 


tow the body to shore, by ropes fastened to the 
swimmers. Afterwards, there was a general quarrel 
over the division of the spoil: the skin, in sections, 
and the tusks, were brought home in triumph. 

“ The country being now bright green, the antelopes 
are distinctly visible on the opposite side. Three tetel 
(Antelopus Bubcilis) graze regularly together in the 
same place daily. This antelope is a variety of the 
hartebeest of South Africa; it is a reddish-chestnut 
colour, and is about the size of an Alderney cow. 

“ One of the mimosas (Acacia Arabica) produces a 
fruit in appearance resembling a tamarind : this is a 
powerful astringent and a valuable medicine in cases of 
fever and diarrhoea ; it is generally used by the Arabs 
for preparing hides ; when dry and broken it is rich in 
a hard gum, which appears to be almost pure tannin. 

“ August 20. — Close, hot, and damp weather ; 
violent rain about sixteen hours out of the twenty- 
four. When the hot season sets in, the country will 
almost boil. This morning I counted 154 giraffes in 
one herd on the other side of the river; there were 
many more, but they passed each other so rapidly that 
I could not reckon the entire troop. 

“August 21 .—I counted 103 giraffes. There is 
literally no game upon this side (west) of the Atbara, 
as the country for twelve hours' journey from Sofi is 
thronged with Arabs during the dry season. 

“ All my people are more or less ill; I am not very 
well myself ; but I have staved off an attack of fever 
by preventive measures. 

N 2 


180 


CAPABILITIES OF THE SOIL. 


[chap. VIII. 


“August 25 .—Such a magnificent sunset I have 
never seen ! From all quarters were gathering storms 
of tlie blackest description, each cloud emitting light¬ 
ning without intermission, and as the sun touched the 
horizon upon the only clear point, it illumined like a 
fire the pitch-black clouds, producing the most extra¬ 
ordinary effect of vivid colouring, combined with 
lightning, and a rainbow. 

“ Rain in torrents throughout the night. It is now 
impossible to walk on the flat table-land, as the 
soil is so saturated, that it clings to the feet like 
birdlime, in masses that will pull the shoes off unless 
they fit tight. All this immense tract of rich land 
would grow any amount of cotton, or wheat, as in 
this country the rains fall with great regularity—this 
might be sent to Berber by boats during the season 
of flood. 

“ August 27 .—My antelope skins are just completed 
and are thoroughly tanned. Each skin required a 
double handful of the ‘ garra/ or fruit of the acacia 
arabica. The process is simple: the skin being 
thoroughly wetted, the garra is pounded into a paste ; 
this is rubbed into the hide with a rough piece of 
sandstone, until it becomes perfectly clean, and free 
from impurities; it is then wrapped up with a 
quantity of the paste, and is deposited in a trough 
and kept in the shade for twenty-four hours. It 
should undergo a similar rubbing daily, and be kept 
in the trough to soak in the garra for four or five 
days. After this process it should be well rubbed 


CHAP. VIII.] 


TANNING OF LEATHER. 


181 


with fat, if required to keep soft and pliable when 
wetted. If soaked in milk after tanning, the leather 
will become waterproof. The large tanned ox-hides 
used by the Arabs as coverlets are perfectly water¬ 
proof, and are simply prepared with milk. These are 
made in Abyssinia, and can be purchased at from ten 
piastres to a dollar each. The Arabs thoroughly 
appreciate the value of leather, as they are entirely 
dependent upon such material for coverlets, water- 
sacks, travelling bags, &c. &c. The sac de voyage 
is a simple skin of either goat or sheep drawn off 
the animal as a stocking is drawn from the leg; this 
is very neatly ornamented, and arranged with loops 
which close the mouth, secured by a padlock. Very 
large sacks capable of containing three hundred pounds 
of corn, are made in the same manner by drawing off 
entire the skins of the larger antelopes—that of the 
tetel is considered the most valuable for this purpose. 
The hide of the wild ass is the finest of all leather, 
and is so close in the grain that before tanning, when 
dry and hardened in the sun, it resembles horn in 
transparency. I have made excellent mocassins with 
this skin, which are admirable if kept wetted. 

“August 28 .—Sofi being upon the frontier, the laws 
are merely nominal, accordingly there is an interesting 
mixture in the society. . Should any man commit 
a crime in Abyssinia, he takes refuge over the border; 
thus, criminals of the blackest character are at large. 
One fellow who has paid us daily visits killed his 
brother with a knife a few months since. I have 


] 82 NATIVE BASKETS AND MATTING. [chap. vih. 

excluded this gentleman from tlie select circle of 
our acquaintance. 

“ The Arab women are very clever in basket- 
work and matting—they carry their milk in baskets 
that are so closely fitted as to be completely 
water-tight; these are made of the leaves of 
the dome palm, shred into fine strips. In 
addition to the coarse matting required for their 
tents, they manufacture very fine sleeping mats, 
curiously arranged in various coloured patterns; 
these are to cover the angareps, or native bed¬ 
steads, which are simple frameworks upon legs, 
covered with a network of raw hide worked in a 
soft state, after which it hardens to the tightness 
of a drum when thoroughly dry. No bed is more 
comfortable for a warm climate than a native 
angarep with a simple mat covering; it is beauti¬ 
fully elastic, and is always cool, as free ventilation 
is permitted from below. I have employed the 
Arab women to make me a hunting cap of the 
basket-work of dome palm, to my old pattern. 

“ August 28 .—I have been busily employed in 
putting new soles to my shoes, having cut up the 
leather cover of a gun-case for material. No ner- 
son can walk barefooted in this country, as the 
grass is armed with thorns. A peculiar species, 
that resembles a vetch, bears a circular pod as 
large as a horse-bean ; the exterior of the pod is 
armed with long and sharp spikes like the head of 
an ancient mace; these pods when ripe are ex- 


chap, viii.] BACHEET IS TOO ATTENTIVE. 183 

ceedingly hard, and falling to the ground in great 
numbers, the spikes will pierce the sole of any shoe 
unless of a stout substance. 

“August 29 .—Florian is very ill with fever. The 
mosquitoes are so troublesome that the Arabs can¬ 
not sleep in their huts, but are forced to arrange 
platforms about six feet high, upon which the whole 
family rest until they are awakened by a sudden 
thunderstorm, and are compelled to rush into their 
huts;—this has been the case nightly for some time 
past. 

“ I find that the whole village has been trying on 
my new hunting-cap, that an Arab woman has just 
completed; this was brought to me to-day, thick 
with butter and dirt from their greasy pates. This 
is a trifle—yesterday Florian was ill and required 
some tea ; his servant tried the degree of heat by 
' plunging his dirty black finger to the bottom. 

“ Shortly after our wild Arab lad, Bacheet, was 
engaged, we drilled him as table servant. The flies 
were very troublesome, and continually committed 
suicide by drowning themselves in the tea. One 
morning during breakfast there were many cases of 
fclo de se, or ‘ temporary insanity/ and my 
wife's tea-cup was full of victims; Bacheet wishing, 
to be attentive, picked out the bodies with his 
finger and thumb !! — ‘ Now, my good fellow, 
Bacheet/ I exclaimed, ‘ you really must not put 
your dirty fingers in the tea: you should take them 
out with the tea-spoon. Look here/ and I per- 


184 “ OU BACHEET! YOU IGNORAMUS!” [chap. vm. 

formed the operation, and safely landed several flies 
that were still kicking. 4 But mind, Bacheet/ I 
continued, ‘ that you wipe the tea-spoon first, to 
be sure that it is clean! ’ On the following morn¬ 
ing at breakfast we covered up the cups with 
saucers to prevent accidents; but to our astonish¬ 
ment Bacheet, who was in waiting, suddenly took 
a tea-spoon from the table, wiped it carefully with 
the corner of the table-cloth, and stooping down 
beneath the bed, most carefully saved from drown¬ 
ing, with the tea-spoon, several flies that were in 
the last extremity within a vessel by no means 
adapted for a spoon. Perfectly satisfied with the 
result, he carefully rewiped the tea-spoon upon 
the table-cloth, and replaced it in its proper position. 

‘ Oh Bacheet! Bacheet! you ignoramus, you extra¬ 
ordinary and impossible animal!’ However, there 
was no help for it—the boy thought he was doing 
the right thing exactly. 

“ September 1 .—The animals are worried almost 
to death by the countless flies, especially by that 
species that drives the camels from the country. 
This peculiar fly is about the size of a wasp, with 
an orange-coloured body, with black and white 
rings; the proboscis is terrific; it is double, and 
appears to be disproportioned, being two-thirds the 
length of the entire insect. When this fly attacks 
an animal, or man, it pierces the skin instantane¬ 
ously, like the prick of a red-hot needle driven, 
deep into the flesh, at the same time the insect 























































































































































THE SEROOT FLY. 


See page 185 . 


“ An d it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall 
hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt.”— 

Isaiah vii. 18. 
























chap, viii.] FEROCITY OF THE SEROOT FLY. 185 

exerts every muscle of its body by buzzing with 
its wings as it buries the instrument to its greatest 
depth. The blood starts from the wound imme¬ 
diately, and continues to flow for a considerable 
time ; this is an attraction to other flies in great 
numbers, many of which would lay their eggs 
upon the wound. 

“ I much prefer the intense heat of summer to 
the damp of the rainy season, which breeds all 
kinds of vermin. During the hot season the 
nights are cool and delightful, there is not one 
drop of dew, and we live entirely in the open 
air beneath the shade of a tree in the day, and 
under a roof of glittering stars at night. The guns 
never rust, although lying upon the ground, and we 
are as independent as the antelopes of the desert, any 
bush affording a home within its limit of shadow. 
During the rainy season hunting and travelling 
would be equally impossible; the rifles would con¬ 
stantly miss fire. The mud is in most places knee- 
deep, and a malignant fever would shortly settle 
the hunter. The rains cease early in September, 
after which we are to expect a complete vapour- 
bath until the end of October, by which time 
the fiery sun will have evaporated the moisture 
from the sodden earth ; that interval will be the 
most unhealthy season. 

“ As this fertile country can depend upon three 
months’ periodical rain, from the middle of June 
until September, there is no reason for unproduc- 


CROSS THE ATBARA. 


186 


[chap. VIII. 


tiveness; it would produce a large revenue if in 
industrious hands. 

“ September 2 .—For many days past we have 
seen large herds of giraffes and many antelopes on 
the opposite side of the river, about two miles 
distant, on the borders of the Atbara, into which 
valley the giraffes apparently dared not descend, 
but remained on the table-land, although the 
antelopes appeared to prefer the harder soil of 
the valley slopes. This day a herd of twenty-eight 
giraffes tantalized me by descending a short distance 
below the level flats, and I was tempted at all 
hazards across the river. Accordingly prepara¬ 
tions were immediately made for a start. The 
sheik of the village and several of the Arabs were 
hippopotami hunters by profession; these fellows 
could swim like otters, and, despite the crocodiles, 
they seemed as much at home in the water as on 
land. We prepared an impromptu raft. My angarep 
(bedstead) was quickly inverted; six water-skins 
were inflated, and lashed, three on either side. A 
shallow packing-case, lined with tin, containing my 
guns, was fastened in the centre of the angarep, and 
two tow-lines were attached to the front part of 
the raft, by which swimmers were to draw it across 
the river. Two men were to hang on behind, and, 
if possible, keep it straight in the rapid current. 

“The Arabs were full of mettle, as their minds 
were fixed upon giraffe venison. A number of 
people, including my wife, climbed upon the mos- 


CHAP. VIII.] 


THE IMPROMPTU RAFT. 


187 


quito platforms, to obtain a good view of tbe 
projected hunt, and we quickly carried our raft to 
tbe edge of tbe river. There was not much delay 
in the "launch. I stepped carefully into my coffin¬ 
shaped case and squatted down, with a rifle on 
either side, and my ammunition at the bottom of 
the tin-lined waterproof case; thus, in case of an 
upset, I was ready for a swim. Off we went! The 
current, running at nearly five miles an hour, car¬ 
ried us away at a great pace, and the whirlpools 
caused us much trouble, as we several times waltzed 
round when we should have preferred a straight 
course, but the towing swimmers being well mounted 
upon logs of light ambatch-wood, swam across in 
fine style, and after some difficulty we arrived at the 
opposite bank, and scrambled through thick bushes, 
upon our hands and knees, to the summit. 

“ For about two miles breadth on this side of the 
river the valley is rough broken ground, full of 
gullies and ravines sixty or seventy feet deep, beds 
of torrents, bare sandstone rocks, bushy crags, fine 
grassy knolls, and long strips of mimosa covert, form¬ 
ing a most perfect locality for shooting. 

“ I had observed by the telescope that the giraffes 
were standing as usual upon an elevated position, 
from whence they could keep a good look-out. I 
knew it would be useless to ascend the slope direct, 
as their long necks give these animals an advantage 
similar to that of the man at the mast-head; there¬ 
fore, although we had the wind in our favour, we 


188 


STALKING GIRAFFES. 


[chap. VIII. 


should have been observed. I therefore determined 
to make a great circuit of about five miles, and 
thus to approach them from above, with the advan¬ 
tage of the broken ground for stalking. It was 
the perfection of uneven country: by clambering 
broken cliffs, wading shoulder-deep through muddy 
gullies, sliding down the steep ravines, and winding 
through narrow bottoms of high grass and mimosas 
for about two hours, during which we disturbed 
many superb nellut (Ant. strepsiceros), and tetel 
(Ant. Bubalis ), we at length arrived at the point 
of the high table-land, upon the verge of which I 
had first noticed the giraffes with the telescope. 
Almost immediately I distinguished the tall neck of 
one of these splendid animals about half a mile dis¬ 
tant upon my left, a little below the table-land ; it 
was feeding on the bushes, and I quickly discovered 
several others near the leader of the herd. I was 
not far enough advanced in the circuit that I had 
intended to bring me exactly above them, therefore I 
turned sharp to my right, intending to make a short 
half circle, and to arrive on the leeward side of the 
herd, as I was now to windward : this I fortunately 
completed, but I had marked a thick bush as my 
point of cover, and upon arrival I found that the 
herd had fed down wind, and that I was within 
two hundred yards of the great bull sentinel that, 
having moved from his former position, was now 
standing directly before me. I laid down quietly be¬ 
hind the bush with my two followers, and anxiously 


CIIAI*. VIII.] 


WITHIN RANGE. 


189 


watched the great leader, momentarily expecting 
that it would get my wind. It was shortly joined 
by two others, and I perceived the heads of several 
giraffes lower down the incline, that were now feed¬ 
ing on their way to the higher ground. The seroot 
fly was teasing them, and I remarked that several 
birds were fluttering about their heads, sometimes 
perching upon their noses and catching the fly that 
attacked their nostrils, while the giraffes appeared 
relieved by their attentions—these were a peculiar 
species of bird that attacks the domestic animals, 
and not only relieves them of vermin, but eats into 
the flesh, and establishes dangerous sores. A puff 
of wind now gently fanned the back of my neck; 
it was cool and delightful, but no sooner did I feel 
the refreshing breeze than I knew it would convey 
our scent direct to the giraffes. A few seconds 
afterwards, the three grand obelisks threw their 
heads still higher in the air, and fixing their 
great black eyes upon the spot from which the 
danger came, they remained as motionless as though 
carved from stone. From their great height they 
could see over the bush behind which we were lying 
at some paces distant, and although I do not think 
they could distinguish us to be men, they could 
see enough to convince them of hidden enemies. 

“The attitude of fixed attention and surprise of 
the three giraffes was sufficient warning for the rest of 
the herd, who immediately filed up from the lower 
ground, and joined their comrades. All now halted, 


190 THE FIRST RUSH OF THE HERD. [chap. viii. 

and gazed stedfastly in our direction, forming a 
superb tableau; their beautiful mottled skins glanc¬ 
ing like the summer coat of a thorough-bred horse, 
the orange-coloured statues standing out in high 
relief from a back-ground of dark-green mimosas. 

“ This beautiful picture soon changed ; I knew that 
my chance of a close shot was hopeless, as they 
would presently make a rush, and be off; thus I 
determined to get the first start. I had previously 
studied the ground, and I concluded that they 
would push forward at right angles with my posi¬ 
tion, as they had thus ascended the hill, and that, 
on reaching the higher ground, they would turn to 
the right, in order to reach an immense tract of 
high grass, as level as a billiard-table, from which 
no danger could approach them unobserved. 

“ I accordingly with a gentle movement of my hand 
directed my people to follow me, and I made a 
sudden rush forward at full speed. Off went the 
herd; shambling along at a tremendous pace, 
whisking their long tails above their hind-quarters, 
and taking exactly the direction I had anticipated, 
they offered me a shoulder shot at a little within 
two hundred yards’ distance. Unfortunately, I fell 
into a deep hole concealed by the high grass, and 
by the time that I resumed the hunt they had 
increased their distance, but I observed the leader 
turned sharp to the right, through some low mimosa 
bush, to make direct for the open table-land. I 
made a short cut obliquely at my best speed, and 


FIRST RUSH OF THE GIRAFFES. 


* 






























































































































* 

. 













































chap, viii.] THE RETREAT OF THE GIRAFFES. 191 

only halted when I saw that I should lose ground 
by altering my position. Stopping short, I was 
exactly opposite the herd as they filed by me at 
right angles in full speed, within about one hundred 
and eighty yards. I had my old Ceylon No. 10 
double rifle, and I took a steady shot at a large 
dark-coloured bull: the satisfactory sound of the 
ball upon his hide was followed almost immediately 
by his blundering forward for about twenty yards, 
and falling heavily in the low bush. I heard the 
crack of the ball of my left-hand barrel upon 
another fine beast, but no effects followed. Bacheet 
quickly gave me the single 2-ounce Manton rifle, 
and I singled out a fine dark-coloured bull, who 
fell on his knees to the shot, but recovering, hob¬ 
bled off disabled, apart from the herd, with a fore¬ 
leg broken just below the shoulder. Reloading 
immediately, I ran up to the spot, where I found 
my first giraffe lying dead, with the ball clean 
through both shoulders; the second was standing 
about one hundred paces distant; upon my approach 
he attempted to move, but immediately fell, and 
was despatched by my eager Arabs. I followed 
the herd for about a mile to no purpose, through 
deep clammy ground and high grass, and I returned 
to our game. 

“ These were my first giraffes, and I admired them 
as they lay before me with a hunters pride and 
satisfaction, but mingled with a feeling of pity for 
such beautiful and utterly helpless creatures. The 


] 02 


DEATH OF THE GIRAFFES. 


[chap. VIII. 


giraffe, although from sixteen to twenty feet in height, 
is perfectly defenceless, and can only trust to the 
swiftness of its pace, and the extraordinary power 
of vision, for its means of protection. The eye of 
this animal is the most beautiful exaggeration of 
that of the gazelle, while the colour of the reddish- 
orange hide, mottled with darker spots, changes the 
tints of the skin with the differing rays of light, 
according to the muscular movement of the body. 
No one who has merely seen the giraffe in a cold 
climate can form the least idea of its beauty in 
its native land. By the time that we had skinned 
one of the animals, it was nearly six o’clock, and 
it was necessary to hurry forward to reach the river 
before night; we therefore arranged some thorny 
boughs over the bodies, to which we intended to 
return on the following morning. 

“When about half way to the river, as we were 
passing through grass about four feet high, three 
tetel bounded from a ravine, and, passing directly 
before us, gave me a splendid shot at about sixty 
yards. The Ceylon No. 10 struck the foremost 
through the shoulder, and it fell dead after running 
a few yards. This was also my first tetel [Ante¬ 
lope Bubalis) ; it was in splendid condition, the 
red coat w^as like satin, and the animal would weigh 
about five hundred pounds live weight. 

“ I had made very successful shots, having bagged 
three out of four at large game ; this perfectly de¬ 
lighted the Arabs, and was very satisfactory to myself, 


chap, vm.] PASSAGE OF THE RIVER . 193 

as I was quite aware tliat my men would be only too 
willing to accompany me upon future excursions. 

“ It was quite dark before we reached the river ; 
we had been much delayed by repeated falls into 
deep holes, and over hidden stones; thus I was well 
satisfied to find myself once more at home after 
having crossed the river, in pitchy darkness, in a 
similar manner as before. Every person in the 
village had had a good view of the stalk, therefore, 
as two giraffes had been seen to fall, the Arabs 
were waiting on the bank in expectation of meat. 

“ September 3 .—This morning I crossed the river 
with about twenty men, some swimming with 
inflated skins, and others supported by logs of 
ambatch. A number of swimmers were holding on 
to a pole to which four inflated girbas were 
attached; this is an excellent plan for assisting sol¬ 
diers to cross a river, as they can land together 
in parties, instead of singly, with their guns dry, 
should the opposite bank be occupied by an enemy. 
I sat in my gun-case, with the two rifles that I 
used yesterday, in addition to the little Fletcher; 
heaps of clothes and sandals belonging to the 
swimmers formed my cargo ; while in case of acci¬ 
dent, I had taken off my belt and shoes, and tied 
my ammunition within an inflated skin. Neptune 
in his car drawn by dolphins was not more com¬ 
pletely at home than I in my gun-case, towed by 
my fish-like hippopotami hunters. After pirouetting 
in several strong whirlpools, during which time a 


o 


194 


TEE GIRAFFE SENTRY ,. 


[chap. VIII- 


crowd of women on the Sofi side of the river, were 
screaming to Allah and the Prophet to protect us 
from crocodiles, we at length arrived. 

“ We took a direct course towards the animals I 
had shot on the previous evening, meeting with no 
game except a large troop of dog-faced baboons 
{Cynocephali), until we reached the body of the tetel 
{Antelope Bubalis ), which lay undisturbed; leaving 
people to flay it carefully, so that the skin should 
serve as a water or corn sack, we continued our 
path towards the dead giraffes. 

“ I had not proceeded far, before I saw, at about 
a mile distant, a motionless figure, as though carved 
from red granite; this I felt sure was a giraffe 
acting as sentry for another party that was not yet 
in view; I therefore sent my men on towards the 
dead giraffes, while, accompanied by Florian s black 
servant Kicharn,* who was a good sportsman, and 
a couple of additional men, I endeavoured to stalk 
the giraffe. It was impossible to obtain a favourable 
wind, without exposing ourselves upon flat ground, 
where we should have been immediately perceived; 
I therefore arranged that my men should make a 
long circuit and drive the giraffe, while I would 
endeavour to intercept it. This plan failed; but 
shortly after the attempt, I observed a herd of about 

* This faithful black, a native of the White Nile regions, sub¬ 
sequently became my servant, and for four years accompanied us 
honestly and courageously through all our difficulties to the Albert 
N’yanza. 


CHAP. VIII.] 


A DIFFICULT STALK. 


195 


a hundred of these splendid creatures, browsing on 
the mimosas about half a mile distant. For upwards 
of three hours I employed every artifice to obtain 
a shot, but to no purpose, as upon my approach to 
within a quarter of a mile, they invariably chose 
open ground, leaving a sentry posted behind the 
herd, while two or three kept a look-out well in 
advance. No animal is so difficult to approach as the 
giraffe; however, by great patience and caution, I 
succeeded in reaching a long and deep ravine, by 
which I hoped to arrive within a close shot, as 
many of the herd were standing upon the level 
table-ground, from which this natural trench sud¬ 
denly descended. I believe I should have arrived 
within fifty yards of the herd by this admirable 
approach, had it not been for the unlucky chance 
that brought me vis-a-vis with two tetel, that by 
galloping off attracted the attention of the giraffes. 
To add to my misfortune, after a long and tedious 
crawl on hands and knees up the narrow and steep 
extremity of the gully, just as I raised my head 
above the edge of the table-land, expecting to see 
the giraffes within fifty paces, I found three gazelles 
feeding within ten yards of me, while three mag¬ 
nificent giraffes were standing about one hundred 
and fifty yards distant. 

“ Off bounded the gazelles the instant that we were 
perceived ; they of course gave the alarm immediately, 
and away went the giraffes, but I took a quick shot 
at the great leader as he turned to the right, and 
o 2 


196 the SEROOT FLY TAKES POSSESSION, [chat. vm. 

lie staggered a few paces and fell lieadlong into tlie 
busli. Hurrali! for the Ceylon No. 10!—however, 
neither the second barrel, nor a shot with the Manton 
2-ounce, produced any effect. It was a glorious sight 
to see the herd of upwards of a hundred of these 
superb animals close up at the alarm of the shots, and 
pelt away in a d use body through the dark green 
mimosa bush that hardly reached to their shoulders ; 
but pursuit was useless. My giraffe was not quite 
dead, and, the throat having been cut by the Arabs 
and Richarn, we attempted to flay our game; this 
was simply impossible. The seroot fly was in 
swarms about the carcase, thousands were buzzing 
about our ears and biting like bull-dogs : the blood 
was streaming from our necks, and, as I wore no 
sleeves, my naked arms suffered terribly. I never 
saw such an extraordinary sight; although we had 
killed our giraffe, we could not take possession; it 
was no wonder that camels and all domestic animals 
were killed by this horrible plague, the only wonder 
was the possibility of wild animals resisting the 
attack. The long tails of the giraffes are admirable 
fly-whippers, but they would be of little service 
against such a determined and bloodthirsty enemy 
as the seroot. They were now like a swarm of 
bees, and we immediately made war upon the 
scourge, by lighting several fires within a few feet 
to windward of the giraffe ; when the sticks blazed 
briskly, we piled green grass upon the tops, and 
quickly produced a smoke that vanquished the enemy. 


CHAr. VIII.] 


GIRAFFE STEAKS . 


197 


It was now about 3 p.m. and intensely hot; I 
had been in constant exercise since 6 a.m. therefore 
I determined upon luncheon under the shade of a 
welcome mimosa, upon which I had already hung 
my water-skin to cool. We cut some long thin 
strips of flesh from the giraffe, and lighted a fire 
of dry babanoose wood expressly for cooking. This 
species of wood is exceedingly inflammable, and 
burns like a torch; it is intensely hard, and in 
colour and grain it is similar to lignum vitse. The 
festoons of giraffe flesh were hung upon forked sticks, 
driven into the ground to leeward of the fire, while 
others were simply thrown upon the embers by my 
men, who, while the food was roasting, employed 
themselves in skinning the animal, and in eating the 
flesh raw. The meat was quickly roasted, and was 
the best I have ever tasted, fully corroborating the 
praises I had frequently heard of giraffe meat from 
the Arab hunters. It would be natural to suppose 
that the long legs of this animal would furnish the 
perfection of marrow bones, but these are a dis¬ 
appointment, as the bones of the giraffe are solid, 
like those of the elephant and hippopotamus; the 
long tendons of the legs are exceedingly prized by 
the Arabs in lieu of thread for sewing leather, also 
for guitar strings. 

“After luncheon, I took my little Fletcher rifle, 
and strolled down to the spot from whence I had 
fired the shot, as I wished to measure the distance, 
but no sooner had I arrived at the place than I 


198 


A HUNT FOR THE TETEL. 


[chap. VIII. 


observed at about a quarter of a mile below me, 
in the valley, a fine tetel; it was standing on the 
summit of one of the numerous knolls, evidently 
driven from the high grass by the flies. I stalked 
it very carefully until I arrived within about a 
hundred yards, and just as I reached the stem of 
a tree that I had resolved upon as my covering-point, 
the tetel got my wind, and immediately bounded off, 
receiving the bullet in the right hip at the same 
moment. After a few bounds it fell, and I ran 
forward to secure it, but it suddenly sprang to its 
feet, and went off at a surprising rate upon three 
legs. I believed I missed it, as I fired a quick shot 
just as it disappeared in the thick bushes. Whistling 
for my people, I was now joined by Bacheet and 
Kicharn, my other men remaining with the giraffe. 
For about four miles we followed on the track through, 
the broken valley of the Atbara, during which we 
several times disturbed the tetel, but could not obtain 
a good shot, on account of the high grass and thick 
bushes. Several times I tried a snap shot, as for a 
moment I caught sight of its red hide galloping 
through the bush, but as it ran down wind I had 
no chance of getting close to my game. At length, 
after following rapidly down a grassy ravine, I 
presently heard it pelting through the bushes; the 
ravine made a bend to the right, therefore, by taking 
a short cut, I arrived just in time to catch sight 
of the tetel as it passed over an open space below 
me ; this time the little Fletcher bagged him. On 


chap, viii.] FLOATING MEAT ACROSS A RIVER. 199 

examination I found that I liad struck it four times. 
I had fired five shots, but as three of those had been 
fired almost at random, when the animal was in full 
speed through the bushes, one had missed, and the 
others were badly placed. 

“Fortunately this long hunt had been in the 
direction of Sofi, to which we were near; still more 
fortunately, after we had marked the spot, we 
shortly met my first party of Arabs returning to¬ 
wards the village, heavily laden with giraffe's flesh, 
and the hide of one that I had killed yesterday. 
It appeared that during the night, lions and hyaenas 
had completely devoured one of the giraffes, not 
even leaving a vestige of skin or bone, but the 
immediate neighbourhood of the spot where it lay, 
had been trampled into mud by the savage crowd 
who fiad left their footprints as witnesses to the 
robbery; the hide and bones had evidently been 
dragged away piecemeal. 

“ On arrival at the river we were all busy in pre¬ 
paring for the passage with so large a quantity of 
meat. The water-skins for the raft were quickly 
inflated, and I learnt from the Arabs an excellent 
contrivance for carrying a quantity of flesh across 
a river, without its becoming sodden. The skin of 
the tetel was nearly as capacious as that of an 
Alderney cow; this had been drawn off in the usual 
manner, so as to form a sack. The Arabs im¬ 
mediately proceeded to tie up the neck like the 
mouth of a bag, and to secure the apertures at the 


200 


BUOY FOR MEN AND CARGO. 


[chap. VIII. 


knees in like manner; when this operation was con¬ 
cluded, the skin became an immense sack, the mouth 
being at the aperture left at the hind-quarters. The 
No. 10 bullet had gone completely through the 
shoulders of the tetel, thus the two holes in the hide 
required stopping; this was dexterously performed 
by inserting a stone into either hole, of a size so 
much larger than the aperture, that it was impossible 
to squeeze them through. These stones were inserted 
from the inside of the sack; they were then grasped 
by the hand from the outside, and pulled forward, 
while a tight ligature was made behind each stone, 
which effectually stopped the holes. The skin of 
the tetel was thus converted into a waterproof bag, 
into which was packed a quantity of flesh sufficient 
to fill two-thirds of its capacity; the edges of the 
mouth were then carefully drawn together, and 
secured by tying. Thus carefully packed, one of the 
foreleg ligatures was untied, and the whole skin was 
inflated by blowing through the tube formed by 
the skin of the limb; the inflation completed, this 
was suddenly twisted round and tied. The skin 
thus filled looked like an exaggerated water-skin; 
the power of flotation was so great, that about a 
dozen men hung on to the legs of the tetel, and to 
each other’s shoulders, when we launched it in the 
river. This plan is well worthy of the attention of 
military men; troops, when on service, are seldom 
without bullocks; in the absence of boats or rafts 
not only can the men be thus safely conveyed across 


CHAr. VIII.] 


SCARE THE CROCODILES. 


201 


the river, but the ammunition can be packed within 
the skins, wrapped up in straw, and will be kept 
perfectly dry. 

“ The Arabs were much afraid of crocodiles this 
night, as it was perfectly dark when we had com¬ 
pleted our preparations, and they feared that the 
smell of so large a quantity of raw flesh, more 
especially the hide of the giraffe, which must be 
towed, would attract these beasts to the party; 
accordingly I fired several shots to alarm them, 
and the men plunged into the river amidst the 
usual yelling of the women on the opposite side. 
Fires had been lighted to direct us, and all passed 
safely across. 

“ The sport upon the Abyssinian side of the river 
had been most satisfactory, and I resolved upon 
the first opportunity to change my quarters, and to 
form an encampment upon that bank of the Atbara 
until the proper season should arrive for travelling. 
I had killed three giraffes and two tetel in only 
two excursions. Florian, who was ill, had not 
been able to accompany me; although he had 
been shooting in this neighbourhood for two years 
he had never killed a giraffe. This want of suc¬ 
cess was owing to the inferiority of his weapons, that 
were not adapted to correct shooting at a range 
exceeding a hundred yards. 

“On the following morning about fifty Arabs 
crossed the river with the intention of bringing 
the flesh of the giraffe, but they returned crest- 


£02 THE LIONS DEVOUR THE GIRAFFE. [chap. yiii. 

fallen in the evening, as again the lions and 
hyaenas had been before them, and nothing was 
left. I therefore resolved not to shoot again until 
I should be settled in my new camp on the other 
side of the river, as it was a wasteful expenditure 
of these beautiful animals unless the flesh could 
be preserved. 

“ The rainy season was drawing to a close, and 
I longed to quit the dulness of Sofi. 

“September 12 ,—The river has fallen nearly 
eighteen feet, as the amount of rain has much 
decreased during the last week. Immense croco¬ 
diles are now to be seen daily, basking upon the 
muddy banks. One monster in particular, who is 
well known to the Arabs as having devoured a 
woman a few months ago, invariably sleeps upon a 
small island up the river. 

“This evening I counted seven elephants'on the 
east side of the river on the table-lands. 

“ To-day the Arabs kept one of their holy feasts; 
accordingly, a sheep was slaughtered as a sacrifice, 
with an accompaniment of music and singing, i.e. 
howling to several guitars. 

“The Arab system of an offering is peculiar. 
Should a friend be dangerously ill, or rain be 
demanded, or should any calamity befall them, 
they slaughter an ox if they possess it, or a sheep 
or goat in the absence of a larger animal, but the 
owner of the beast sells the meat in small portions 
to the assembled party, and the whole affair of 


chap, viii.] ARAB MUSIC . 203 

sacrifice resolves itself into a feast; thus having 
filled themselves with good meat, they feel satis¬ 
fied that they have made a religious sacrifice, and 
they expect the beneficial results. The guitar 
music and singing that attend the occasion are 
simply abominable. Music, although beloved like 
dancing by both the savage and civilized, varies in 
character according to the civilization of the race; 
that which is agreeable to the uneducated ear, is 
discord to the refined nerves of the educated. 
The untuned ear of the savage, can no more enjoy 
the tones of civilized music than his palate would 
relish the elaborate dishes of a French chef de 
cuisine . As the stomach of the Arab prefers the 

raw meat and reeking liver taken hot from the 

animal, so does his ear prefer his equally coarse 
and discordant music to a]l other. The guitar 
most common is made of either the shell of a 
large gourd, or that of a turtle; over this is 

stretched an untanned skin, that of a large fish 

being preferred; through this, two sticks are fixed 
about two feet three inches in length; the ends 
of these are fastened to a cross piece upon which 
are secured the strings; these are stretched over 
a bridge similar to those of a violin, and are either 
tightened or relaxed by rings of waxed rag fastened 
upon the cross piece — these rings are turned 
by the hand, and retain their position in spite 
of the strain upon the strings. Nothing delights 
an Arab more than to sit idly in his hut and 


204 ARRANGE TO CROSS THE RIVER. [chap. viii. 

strum this wretched instrument from morning until 
night.” 

I was thoroughly tired of Soft, and I deter¬ 
mined to move my party across the river to camp 
on the uninhabited side; the rains had almost 
ceased, therefore we should be able to live in the 
tent at night, and to form a shady nook beneath 
some mimosas by day; accordingly we busily 
prepared for a move. 


CHAPTER IX. 


FORM A RAFT WITH THE SPONGING BATH. 

On the 15th September the entire male population 
of Sofi turned out to assist us in crossing the river, as 
I had promised them a certain sum should the move 
be effected, without the loss or destruction of baggage. 
I had arranged a very superior raft to that I had 
formerly used, as I now had eight inflated skins at¬ 
tached to the bedstead, upon which I lashed our large 
circular sponging bath, which, being three feet eight 
inches in diameter, and of the best description, would 
be perfectly safe for my wife, and dry and commodious 
for the luggage. In a very short time the whole of 
our effects were carried to the water’s edge, and the 
passage of the river commenced. The rifles were the 
first to cross with Bacheet, while the water-tight iron 
box that contained the gunpowder was towed like a 
pinnace behind the raft. Four hippopotami hunters 
were harnessed as tug steamers, while a change of 
swimmers waited to relieve them every alternate 
voyage. The raft answered admirably, and would 
easily support about three hundred pounds. The 
power of flotation of the sponging bath alone, I had 


206 


THE IMPROMPTU FERRY . 


[chap. IX. 


proved would support a hundred and ninety- 
pounds, thus the only danger in crossing, was the 
chance of a crocodile making a dash either at 
the inflated skins in mistake for the body of a man, 
or at the swimmers themselves. All the usual neces¬ 
saries were safely transported, with the tents and 
personal baggage, before I crossed myself, with a 
number of Arabs. We quickly cleared the grass 
from the hard pebbly soil of a beautiful plateau on 
the summit of a craggy sandstone cliff, about eighty 
feet above the river ; here we pitched the tents, close 
to some mimosas of dense foliage, and all being in 
order, I went down to the river to receive the next 
arrival. My wife now came across the ferry, and 
so perfectly had this means of transport succeeded, 
that by the evening, the whole of our stores and 
baggage had been delivered without the slightest 
damage, with the exception of a very heavy load 
of corn, that had caused the sponging-bath to ship 
a sea during a strong squall of wind. The only 
person who had shown the least nervousness in 
trusting his precious body to my ferry-boat, was 
Mahomet the dragoman, who, having been simply 
accustomed to the grand vessels of the Nile, was 
not prepared to risk himself in a voyage across the 
Atbara in a sponging-bath. He put off the desperate 
attempt until the last moment, when every other 
person of my party had crossed ; I believe he hoped 
that a wreck would take place before his turn should 
arrive, and thus spare him the painful necessity, but 


chap, ix.] ACHMET IS TEMPTED BY SATAN. 207 

when at length the awful moment arrived, he was 
assisted carefully into the bath by his servant Achmet 
and a number of Arabs, all of whom were delighted 
at his imbecility. Perched nervously in the centre 
of the bath, and holding on tight by either side, he 
was towed across with his travelling bag of clothes, 
while Achmet remained in charge of his best clothes 
and sundry other personal effects, that were to form 
the last cargo across the ferry. It appeared that 
Achmet, the dearly beloved and affectionate relative 
of Mahomet, who had engaged to serve him for simple 
love instead of money, was suddenly tempted by 
Satan, and seeing that Mahomet and the entire party 
were divided from him and the property in his charge, 
by a river two hundred yards wide, about forty feet 
deep, with a powerful current, he made up his mind 
to bolt with the valuables; therefore while Mahomet, 
in a nervous state in the ferry-bath, was being towed 
towards the east, Achmet turned in another direction 
and fled towards the west. Mahomet having been 
much frightened by the nautical effort he had been 
forced to make, was in an exceedingly bad temper 
upon the arrival on the opposite bank, and having 
at length succeeded in climbing up the steep ascent, 
in shoes that were about four sizes too large for him, 
he arrived on the lofty plateau of our camp, and 
doubtless would like ourselves have been charmed 
with the view of the noble river rushing between 
the cliffs of white sandstone, had he only seen Achmet 
his fond relative with his effects on the opposite bank. 


208 MAHOMET'S RELATIVE ABSCONDS. [chap. ix. 

Mahomet strained his eyes, but the blank was no 
optical delusion; neither Aclimet nor his effects were 
there. The Arabs, who hated the unfortunate Ma¬ 
homet for his general overbearing conduct, now 
comforted him with the suggestion that Achmet had 
run away, and that his only chance was to re-cross 
the river and give chase. Mahomet would not have 
ventured upon another voyage to the other side and 
back again, for the world, and as to giving chase in 
boots (highlows) four sizes too big, and without 
strings, that would have been as absurd as to 
employ a donkey to catch a horse. Mahomet could 
do nothing but rush frantically to the very edge of 
the cliff, and scream and gesticulate to a crowd of 
Arab women who had passed the day beneath the 
shady trees by the Faky’s grave, watching our passage 
of the Atbara. Beating his own head and tearing his 
hair were always the safety valves of Mahomet’s rage, 
but as hair is not of that mushroom growth that re¬ 
appears in a night, he had patches upon his cranium 
as bald as a pumpkin shell, from the constant plucking, 
attendant upon losses of temper; he now not only 
tore a few extra locks from his head, but he shouted 
out a tirade of abuse towards the far-distant Achmet, 
calling him a <!C son of a dog,” cursing his father, and 
paying a few compliments to the memory of his 
mother, which if only half were founded upon fact 
were sad blots upon the morality of the family to 
which Mahomet himself belonged, through his close 
relationship to Achmet, whom he had declared to 


chap ix.] END OF THE RAINY SEASON. 209 

be his mother's brothers cousin's sisters mother's 
son. 

A heavy shower of rain fell shortly after our camp 
was completed, when fortunately the baggage was 
under cover ; this proved to be the last rain of the 
season, and from that moment the burning sun 
ruled the sodden country, and rapidly dried up 
not only the soil but all vegetation. The grass 
within a few days of the cessation of the rain 
assumed a tinge of yellow, and by the end of 
October there was not a green spot to relieve the 
eye from the golden blaze of the landscape, except 
the patches of grass and reeds that sprang from 
the mud banks of the retiring river. The climate 
was exceedingly unhealthy, but we were fortunately 
exceptions to the general rule, and although the 
inhabitants of Sofi were all sufferers, our camp 
had no invalids, with the exception of Mahomet, 
who had upon one occasion so gorged himself 
with half-putrid fish, that he nearly died in con¬ 
sequence. It would be impossible to commence 
our explorations in the Base until the grass 
should be sufficiently dry to burn ; there were two 
varieties : that upon the slopes and hollows of the 
stony soil of the Atbara valley had been a pest 
ever since it had ripened; as the head formed 
three barbed darts, these detached themselves from 
the plant with such facility, that the slightest 
touch was sufficient to dislodge them ; they imme¬ 
diately pierced the clothes, from which they could 


p 


210 


TEE SEROOT FLY DISAPPEARS. 


[chap. IX. 


not be withdrawn, as the barbed beads broke off and 
remained. It was simply impossible to walk in this 
grass as it became ripe, without special protection ; 
I accordingly tanned some gazelle skins, with which 
my wife constructed stocking gaiters, to be drawn 
over the foot and tied above and below the knee ; 
thus fortified I could defy the grass, and indulge in 
shooting and exploring the neighbourhood until the 
season should arrive for firing the country. The high 
grass upon the table-lands, although yellow, would 
not be sufficiently inflammable until the end of No¬ 
vember. 

The numerous water-courses that drained the table¬ 
lands during the rainy season, were now dry. No 
sooner had the grass turned yellow, than the pest of 
the country, the seroot fly, disappeared; thus the 
presence of this insect may be dated from about 
10th July to 10th October. As the fly vanished, the 
giraffes also left the neighbourhood. By a few days 
exploration, I found that the point of land from the 
junction of the Settite river with the Atbara, formed 
a narrow peninsula which was no wider than eight 
miles across from our encampment: thus the herds 
of game retreating from the south before the attacks 
of the seroot, found themselves driven into a cul- 
de-sac upon the strip of land between the broad 
and deep rivers the Settite and Atbara, which in the 
rainy season they dared not cross. All this country 
being uninhabited, there were several varieties of game 
at all seasons, but the three rainy months insure a 


CHAP. IX.] 


the u till: 


211 


good supply of elephants and giraffes; these retreat 
about thirty miles farther south, when permitted by 
the cessation of the flies to return to their favourite 
haunts. 

My camp was in a very commanding position, as it 
was protected in front by the Atbara, and on the 
left by a perpendicular ravine about eighty feet deep, 
at the bottom of which flowed the rivulet called by 
the Arabs the “ Till; ” this joined the river imme¬ 
diately below our plateau. On our right was a steep 
and rugged incline covered with rocks of the whitest 
sandstone, through which ran veins of rich iron ore 
from four to five feet in width. I found a con¬ 
siderable quantity of fossil wood in the sandstone, and 
I had previously discovered on the Sofi side of the 
river, the fossil stem of a tree about twelve feet long; 
the grain appeared to be exceedingly close, but I 
could not determine the class to which the tree had 
belonged. 

As the Atbara had fallen to the level of the small 
tributary, the Till, that stream was nearly exhausted, 
and the fish that inhabited its deep and shady waters 
during the rainy season, were now fast retiring to the 
parent river. At the mouth of the stream were a 
number of rocks, that, as the water of the Atbara 
retreated, daily increased in size ; these were evidently 
blocks that had been detached from the cliffs that 
walled in the Till. As we were now entirely de¬ 
pendent upon the rod and the rifle for the support 
of our party, I determined to try for a fish, as I felt 
p 2 


212 


PREPARATIONS FOR FISHING. 


[chap. IX. 


quite certain that some big fellows in the main river 
would be waiting to receive the small fry that 
were hurrying away from the exhausted waters of 

the Till. 

I had a good supply of tackle, and I chose a beauti¬ 
fully straight and tapering bamboo that had been 
brought down by the river floods. I cut off the large 
brass ring from a game-bag, which I lashed to the 
end of my rod; and having well secured my largest 
winch, that carried upwards of 200 yards of the 
strongest line, I arranged to fish with a live bait upon 
a set of treble hooks. In one of the rocks at the 
waters edge, was a circular hole about three feet in 
diameter and five or six feet deep; this appeared 
like an artificial well, but it was simply the effect 
of natural boring by the joint exertions of the strong 
current combined with hard sand and gravel. This 
had perhaps years ago settled in some slight hollow in 
the rock, and had gradually worked out a deep well 
by perpetual revolutions. I emptied this natural bait- 
box of its contents of sand and rounded pebbles, and 
having thoroughly cleaned and supplied it with fresh 
water, I caught a large number of excellent baits by 
emptying a hole in the Till; these I consigned to my 
aquarium. The baits were of various kinds: some 
were small “boulti” (a species of perch), but the 
greater number were young fish of the Silurus species; 
these were excellent, as they were exceedingly tough 
in the skin, and so hardy in constitution, that they 
rather enjoyed the fun of fishing. I chose a little 



























































































































































































































* 























See page 225 , 




THE coor; 



CHAP. IX.] 


“THAT WAS A MONSTER! 


213 


fellow about four inches in length to begin with, and 
I delicately inserted the hook under the back fin. 
Gently dropping my alluring and lively little friend 
in a deep channel between the rocks and the mouth 
of the Till, I watched my large float with great 
interest, as carried by the stream it swept past the 
corner of a large rock into the open river; that 
corner was the very place where, if I had been a big 
fish, I should have concealed myself for a sudden rush 
upon an unwary youngster. The large green float 
sailed leisurely along, simply indicating, by its uneasy 
movement, that the bait was playing; and now it 
passed the point of the rock and hurried round the 
corner in the sharper current towards the open river. 
Off it went!—Down dipped the tip of the rod with a 
rush so sudden that the line caught somewhere, I 
don't know where, and broke ! 

“ Well, that was a monster! ” I exclaimed, as I 
recovered my inglorious line; fortunately the float 
was not lost, as the hooks had been carried away at 
the fastening to the main line; a few yards of this 
I cut off, as it had partially lost its strength from 
frequent immersion. 

I replaced the lost hooks by a still larger set, with 
the stoutest gimp and swivels, and once more I tried 
my fortune with a bait exactly resembling the first 
In a short time I had a brisk run, and quickly landed 
a fish of about twelve pounds : this was a species 
known by the Arabs as the “ bayard; ” it has a 
blackish green back, the brightest silver sides and 


214 


THE “ bayard: 


[chap. ix. 


belly, with very peculiar back fins, that nearest to 
the tail being a simple piece of flesh free from rays. 
This fish has four long barbules in the upper jaw, and 
two in the lower : the air-bladder, when dried, forms 
a superior quality of isinglass, and the flesh of this 
fish is excellent, I have frequently seen the bayard 
sixty or seventy pounds’ weight, therefore I was not 
proud of my catch, and I recommenced fishing. 
Nothing large could be tempted, and I only suc¬ 
ceeded in landing two others of the same kind, one of 
about nine pounds, the smaller about six. I resolved 
upon my next trial to use a much larger bait, and I 
returned to camp with my fish for dinner. 

The life at our new camp was charmingly inde¬ 
pendent ; we were upon Abyssinian territory; but, as 
the country was uninhabited, we considered it as our 
own. I had previously arranged with the sheik of 
Sofi that, whenever the rifle should be successful and 
I could spare meat, I would hoist the English flag 
upon my flagstaff; thus I could at any time summon 
a crowd of hungry visitors, who were ever ready to 
swim the river and defy the crocodiles in the hope of 
obtaining flesh. We were exceedingly comfortable, 
having a large stock of supplies; in addition to our 
servants we had acquired a treasure in a nice old 
slave woman, whom we had hired from the sheik at 
a dollar per month to grind the corn. Masara (Sarah) 
was a dear old creature, the most willing and obliging 
specimen of a good slave; and she was one of those 
bright exceptions of the negro race that would have 


CHAP. IX.] 


MASARA THE SLAVE. 


215 


driven Exeter Hall frantic with enthusiasm. Poor 
old Masara ! She had now fallen into the hands of a 
kind mistress, and as we were improving in Arabic, 
my wife used to converse with her upon the past and 
present; the future had never been suggested to her 
simple mind. Masara had a weighty care; her daily 
bread was provided; money she had none, neither did 
she require it; husband she could not have had, as a 
slave has none, but is the common property of all 
who purchase her : but poor Masara had a daughter, a 
charmingly pretty girl of about seventeen, the offspring 
of one of the old woman’s Arab masters. Sometimes 
this girl came to see her mother, and we arranged the 
bath on the inflated skins, and had her towed across 
for a few days. This was Masara s greatest happiness, 
but her constant apprehension; the nightmare of her 
life was the possibility that her daughter should be sold 
and parted from her. The girl was her only and all 
absorbing thought, the sole object of her affection: 
she was the moon in her mother's long night of 
slavery; without her, all were dark and hopeless. 
The hearts of slaves are crushed and hardened by 
the constant pressure of the yoke; nevertheless some 
have still those holy feelings of affection that nature 
has implanted in the human mind : it is the tearing 
asunder of those tender chains that renders slavery 
the horrible curse that it really is; human beings are 
reduced to the position of animals, without the 
blessings enjoyed by the brute creation — short 
memories and obtuse feelings. 


210 CROSS THE PENINSULA TO SETTITE. [chap. ix. 

Masara, Maliomet, Wat Gamma, and Bacliect, 
formed the establishment of Ehetilla, which was the 
Arab name of onr locality. Bacheet was an inveterate 
sportsman, and was my constant and sole attendant 
when shooting; his great desire was to accompany 
me in elephant-hunting, when he promised to carry 
one of my spare rifles as a trusty gun-bearer, and he 
vowed that no animal should ever frighten him. 

A few extracts from my journal written at that 
time will convey a tolerable idea of the place and 
our employments. 

“ September 23 .—Started for the Settite river. In 
about four hours’ good marching N.N.E. through a 
country of grass and mimosa bush that forms the high 
land between that river and the Atbara, I reached the 
Settite about a mile from the junction. The river is 
about 250 yards wide, and flows through a broken 
valley of innumerable hillocks and deep ravines of 
about five miles in width, precisely similar in cha¬ 
racter to that of the Atbara; the soil having been 
denuded by the rains, and carried away by the floods 
of the river towards the Nile. The heat was intense ; 
there was no air stirring; a cloudless sky and a sun 
like a burning-glass. We saw several nellut ( Tauro - 
tragus strepsiceros ), but these superb antelopes were 
too wild to allow a close approach. The evening 
drew near, and we had nothing to eat, when fortu¬ 
nately I espied a fine black-striped gazelle (Gazella 
Dorcas ), and with tne greatest caution I stalked it to 
within about a hundred paces, and made a successful 


CHAP. IX.] 


JUNGLE COOKING. 


217 


shot with the Fletcher rifle, and secured our dinner. 
Thus provided, we selected a steep sugarloaf-shaped 
hill, upon the peak of which we intended to pass the 
night. We therefore cleared away the grass, spread 
boughs upon the ground, lighted fires, and prepared 
for a bivouac. Having a gridiron, and pepper and 
salt, I made a grand dinner of liver and kidneys, 
while my men ate a great portion of the gazelle raw, 
and cooked the remainder in their usual careless man¬ 
ner by simply laying it upon the fire for a few seconds 
until^ warmed half through. There is nothing like a 
good gridiron for rough cooking ; a frying-pan is 
good if you have fat, but without it, the pan is utterly 
useless. With a gridiron and a couple of iron skewers 
a man is independent :—the liver cut in strips and 
grilled with pepper and salt is excellent, but kabobs 
are sublime, if simply arranged upon the skewer in 
alternate pieces of liver and kidney cut as small as 
walnuts, and rubbed with chopped garlic, onions, 
cayenne, black pepper, and salt. The skewers thus 
arranged should be laid either upon the glowing 
embers, or across the gridiron. 

“ Not a man closed his eyes that night—not that 
the dinner disagreed with them—but the mosquitoes! 
Lying on the ground, the smoke of the fires did not 
protect us, we were beneath it, as were the mosquitoes 
likewise ; in fact the fires added to our misery, as 
they brought new plagues in thousands of flying 
bugs, with beetles of all sizes and kinds : these, be¬ 
coming stupefied in the smoke, tumbled clumsily 


218 


A MISERABLE NIGHT. 


[chap. IX. 


upon me, entangling themselves in my long beard 
and whiskers, crawling over my body, down my neck, 
and up my sleeping drawers, until I was swarming 
with them; the bugs upon being handled squashed 
like lumps of butter, and emitted a perfume that was 
unbearable. The night seemed endless ; it was passed 
in alternately walking to and fro, flapping right and 
left with a towel, covering my head with a pillow¬ 
case, and gasping for air through the button-hole, in 
an atmosphere insufferably sultry. 

“ At length morning dawned, thank Heaven ! I 
made a cup of strong coffee, ate a morsel of dhurra 
bread, and started along the high ground parallel 
with the course of the Settite river up stream. 

“ After walking for upwards of four hours over 
ground covered with tracks of giraffes, elephants, 
and antelopes about a fortnight old, I saw four 
tetel [Antelope Bubalis), but I was unfortunate in 
my shot at a long range in high grass. We had 
been marching south-east, and as I intended to re¬ 
turn to camp, we now turned sharp to the west. 
The country was beautiful, composed of alternate 
glades, copses, and low mimosa forest. At length I 
espied the towering head of a giraffe at about half- 
a mile distant; he was in the mimosa forest, and was 
already speculating upon our party, which he had 
quickly observed. Leaving my men in this spot to fix 
his attention, I succeeded in making a good stalk to 
within one hundred and twenty yards of him. He was 
exactly facing me, and I waited for him to turn and 


CHAP. IX.] 


SHOOT BADLY. 


219 


expose the flank, but he suddenly turned so quickly that 
I lost the opportunity, and he received the bullet in 
his back as he started at full speed; for the moment 
he reeled crippled among the mimosas, but, recover¬ 
ing, he made off. I could not fire the left hand barrel 
on account of the numerous trees and bushes. I called 
my men, and followed for a few hundred yards 
upon his track, but as this was directly in an op¬ 
posite direction to that of my camp I was forced to 
give up the hunt,* 

“ About an hour later I hit a tetel with both 
barrels of the little Fletcher, at full gallop; but 
although we followed the blood-track for some dis¬ 
tance, we did not recover it. At this season the 
grass is in most places from seven to ten feet high, 
and being trodden by numerous old tracks of ani¬ 
mals it is difficult to find a wounded beast without 
the assistance of a dog. The luck was against me 
to-day; I could only shoot well enough to hit 
everything, but to bag nothing, owing to a sleep¬ 
less night, I killed a guinea-fowl to secure dinner 
upon my return, and we at length reached the wel¬ 
come Atbara within two miles of my head-quarters. 
My men made a rush to the river, and threw them¬ 
selves into the water, as all were more or less ex¬ 
hausted by the intense heat of the long day's work 
after a restless night. I took a good drink through 
my gazelle shank bone, which I wear suspended 
from my neck for that purpose, and I went on 

* We found the remains of the giraffe a few days later. 


220 


FISHING IN THE ATE JR J. 


[chap. IX. 


alone, leaving my bathing party to refresh them¬ 
selves. I reached the tent a little after four p.m. 
after more than ten hours' continual walking in the 
burning sun. I felt almost red hot, but my bath 
and clean linen being ready, thanks to the careful 
preparation of my wife, I was quickly refreshed, and 
sat down with a lion's appetite to good curry and 
rice, and a cup of black coffee. 

“ September 25 .—Having nothing to eat, I took 
my fishing-rod and strolled down to the river, and 
chose from my aquarium a fish of about half a 
pound for a live bait; I dropped this in the river 
about twenty yards beyond the mouth of the Till, 
and allowed it to swim naturally down the stream 
so as to pass across the Till junction, and descend 
the deep channel between the rocks. For about ten 
minutes I had no run ; I had twice tried the same 
water without success, nothing would admire my 
charming bait; when just as it had reached the 
favourite turning-point at the extremity of a rock, 
away dashed the line, with the tremendous rush 
that follows the attack of a heavy fish. Trusting 
to the soundness of my tackle, I struck hard and 
fixed my new acquaintance thoroughly, but off he 
dashed down the stream for about fifty yards at 
one rush, making for a narrow channel between 
two rocks, through which the stream ran like a mill- 
race. Should he pass this channel, T knew he would 
cut the line across the rock; therefore, giving him 
the butt, I held him by main force, and by the 


CHAP. IX.] 


A GOOD RUN. 


221 


great swirl in the water I saw that I was bringing 
him to the surface; but just as I expected to see 
him, my float having already appeared, away he 
darted in another direction, taking sixty or seventy 
yards of line without a check. I at once observed 
that he must pass a shallow sandbank favourable 
for landing a heavy fish, I therefore checked him 
as he reached this spot, and I followed him down 
the bank, reeling up line as I ran parallel with his 
course. Now came the tug of war ! I knew my 
hooks were good and the line sound, therefore I 
was determined not to let him escape beyond the 
favourable ground; and I put a strain upon him, 
that after much struggling brought to the surface 
a great shovel-head, followed by a pair of broad 
silvery sides, as I led him gradually into shallow 
water. Bacheet now cleverly secured him by the 
gills, and dragged him in triumph to the shore. 
This was a splendid bayard, at least forty pounds’ 
weight. 

“ I laid my prize upon some green reeds, and 
covered it carefully with the same cool material. I 
then replaced my bait by a lively fish, and once 
more tried the river. In a very short time I had 
another run, and landed a small fish of about nine 
pounds of the same species. Not wishing to catch 
fish of that size, I put on a large bait, and threw 
it about forty yards into the river, well up the 
stream, and allowed the float to sweep the water 
in a half circle, thus taking the chance of different 


222 ANOTHER MONSTER . [chap. ix. 

distances from the shore. For about half an hour 
nothing moved ; I was just preparing to alter my 
position, when out rushed my line, and striking hard, 
I believe I fixed the old gentleman himself, for I 
had no control over him whatever; holding him was 
out of the question; the line flew through my 
hands, cntting them till the blood flowed, and I 
was obliged to let the fish take his own way : this 
he did for about eighty yards, when he suddenly 
stopped. This unexpected halt was a great calamity, 
for the reel over-ran itself, having no check-wheel, 
and the slack bends of the line caught the handle 
just as he again rushed forward, and with a jerk 
that nearly pulled the rod from my hands he was 
gone! I found one of my large hooks broken short 
off; the confounded reel! The fish was a monster! 

“ After this bad luck, I had no run until the 
evening, when putting on a large bait, and fishing 
at the tail of a rock between the stream and still 
water, I once more had a grand rush, and hooked 
a big one. There were no rocks down stream, all 
was fair play and clear water, and away he went 
at racing pace straight for the middle of the river. 
To check the pace, I grasped the line with the 
stuff ‘of my loose trousers, and pressed it between 
my fingers so as to act as a break, and compel him 
to labour for every yard; but he pulled like a horse, 
and nearly cut through the thick cotton cloth, 
making straight running for at least a hundred 
yards without a halt. I now put so severe a strain 


chap, ix.] BACHEET LANDS HIM. 223 

upon liim, tliat my strong bamboo bent nearly double, 
and the fish presently so far yielded to the pressure, 
that I could enforce his running in half circles instead 
of straight away. I kept gaining line, until I at 
length led him into a shallow bay, and after a great 
fight, Bacheet embraced him by falling upon him, 
and clutching the monster with hands and knees ; 
he then tugged to the shore a magnificent fish of 
upwards of sixty pounds. For about twenty minutes 
he had fought against such a strain as I had never 
before used upon a fish, but I had now adopted 
hooks of such a large size and thickness that it was 
hardly possible for them to break, unless snapped 
by a crocodile. My reel was so loosened from the 
rod, that had the struggle lasted a few minutes 
longer I must have been vanquished. This fish 
measured three feet eight inches to the root of the 
tail, and two feet three inches in girth of shoulders, 
the head measured one foot ten inches in circum¬ 
ference—it was the same species as those I had 
already caught. 

“This closed the sport for the day. We called all 
hands to carry the fish to camp, and hoisted the 
flag, which was quickly followed by the arrival of 
a number of men from Sofi, to receive all that we 
could spare. The largest fish we cut into thin strips, 
these we salted and dried; the head made delicious 
soup, with a tea-spoonful of curry powder. 

“September 26 .—The weather is now intensely 
hot, and the short spear grass is drying so rapidly 


224 


THE BABOONS VISIT VS. 


[chap. IX. 


that in some stony places it can be fired. The 
birds appear to build their nests at various seasons. 
Many that built three months ago are again at 
work; among others is a species of black Mina, 
that takes entire possession of a tree, which it 
completely covers with nests coarsely constructed of 
sticks. A few days ago I found several trees con¬ 
verted into colonies of many hundred dwellings. 

“I never allow either the monkeys or baboons to 
be disturbed : thus they have no fear of our party, but 
with perfect confidence they approach within thirty 
or forty yards of the tents, sitting upon the rocks and 
trees, and curiously watching all that takes place in 
the camp. I have only seen one species of monkey 
in this neighbourhood—a handsome dark grey animal 
with white whiskers. The baboons are also of one 
species, the great dog-faced ape (Cynocephalus) ; these 
grow to a very large size, and old Masara fully expects 
to be carried off and become the wife of an old baboon, 
if they are allowed to become so bold. 

“This afternoon I took a stroll with the rifle, but 
saw nothing except a young crocodile about six feet 
long ; this was on the dry summit of a hill, far from 
water. I shot it and took the skin. I can only con¬ 
clude that the small stream in which he had wandered 
from the river bed had become dry, and the crea¬ 
ture had lost its way in searching for other water. 

“ September 27.—I started from the tent at 6 
a. M. and made a circuit of about eighteen miles, 
seeing nothing but tetel and gazelles, but I had 


CHAP. IX.] 


THE COOK 


225 


no luck. Hot and disgusted I returned home, and 
took the rod, hoping for better luck in the river. 
I hooked, but lost, a small fish, and I began to 
think that the fates were against me by land and 
water, when I suddenly had a tremendous run, and 
about one hundred and fifty yards rushed off the 
reel without the possibility of stopping the fish. 
The river was very low ; thus I followed along the 
bank, holding hard, and after about half an hour 
of difference of opinion, the fish began to show 
itself, and I coaxed it into the shallows ; here it 
was cleverly managed by Bacheet, who lugged it 
out by the tail. It was an ugly monster, of about 
fifty pounds, a species of silurus, known by the 
Arabs as the ‘ coorf it differed from the silurus 
of Europe by having a dorsal fin, like a fringe, 
that extended along the back to the tail. This 
fish had lungs resembling delicate branches of red 
coral, and, if kept moist, it would exist upon the 
land for many hours like an eel. It smelt strongly 
of musk, but it was gladly accepted by the sheik 
of Sofi, who immediately answered to the flag. 

“ While shooting this morning I came suddenly 
upon a small species of leopard, that had just 
killed a snake about five feet in length ; the head 
was neatly bitten off and lay upon the ground 
near the body; the animal was commencing a meal 
off the snake w T hen it was disturbed, and I lost 
sight of it immediately in the high grass. 

“ September 28 .—The heat is most oppressive : 

Q 


226 


WILD VEGETABLES. 


[chap. IX. 


even the nights are hot, until about 2 a.m. at which 
hour a cool breeze springs up. The wind now blows 
from the south until about 1 p.m. when it changes 
suddenly to the north, and then varies between these 
two points during the rest of the day; this leads 
me to hope that the north wind will shortly set in. 
September, as in England, is the autumn of this 
land; the wild fruits are ripe, some of which are 
not unpleasant, but they are generally too sweet, they 
lack the acidity that would be agreeable in this 
burning climate. There is an orange-coloured berry 
that has a pleasant flavour, but it is extremely oily ; 
this has a peculiarly disagreeable effect upon the 
system, if eaten in any quantity. Several varieties 
of excellent wild vegetables grow in great abun¬ 
dance throughout this country : beans, three kinds of 
spinach, the juicy, brittle plant cultivated in Lower 
Egypt, and known as ‘ regie and lastly, that 
main-stay of Arab cookery, ‘ waker/ well known 
in Ceylon and India under the names of ‘ Barmian 
and ‘ Bandikai/ This grows to the height of thir¬ 
teen or fourteen feet in the rich soil of the table¬ 
lands : the Arabs gather the pods and cut them 
in thin slices ; these are dried in the sun and then 
packed in large sacks for market. The harvest of 
waker is most important, as no Arab dish would 
be perfect without the admixture of this agreeable 
vegetable. The dried waker is rubbed into powder 
between two stones; this, if boiled with a little gravy„ 
produces a gelatinous and highly-flavoured soup. 


chap, ix.] DEATH OF AT ALAN WAT SAID. 22/ 

“ September 29 .— We liave just heard that Atalan 
Wat Said, by whom we were so well received, is 
dead! The Arabs have a disagreeable custom of 
paying honours to a guest by keeping the anniver¬ 
sary of the death of any relatives whose decease 
should be known to them ; thus, when Atalan Wat 
Said paid a visit to Sheik Aclimet Abou Sinn, the 
latter celebrated with much pomp the anniversary 
of his (Atalans) late father’s death. The unfortu¬ 
nate guest, who happened to arrive in Abou Sinn’s 
camp upon the exact day upon which his father 
had died on the preceding year, was met by a 
mourning crowd, with the beating of drums, the 
howling of women, and the loud weeping and 
sorrowful condoling of the men. This scene affected 
Atalan Wat Said to such a degree, that, being rather 
unwell, he immediately sickened with fever, and 
died in three days. In this country any grief of 
mind will insure an attack of fever, when all are 
more or less predisposed during the unhealthy sea¬ 
son from the commencement of July until the end 
of October. 

“ This afternoon I took the rod, and having caught 
a beautiful silver-sided fish of about a pound weight, 
I placed it upon a large single hook fastened under 
the back fin. In about an hour I had a run, but 
upon striking, I pulled the bait out of the fish’s 
mouth, as the point of the hook had not touched 
the jaw. I had wound up slowly for about thirty 
yards, hoping that the big fellow would follow his 
Q 2 


223 CATCH A BAGGAR. [chap. ix. 

lost prize, as I knew him to be a large fish by 
his attack upon a bait of a pound weight. I found 
my bait was killed, but having readjusted the hook, 
I again cast it in the same direction, and slowly 
played it towards me. I had him! He took it 
immediately, and I determined to allow him to 
swallow it before I should strike. Without a halt, 
about a hundred yards of line were taken at the 
first rush towards the middle of the river; he then 
stopped, and I waited for about a minute, and then 
fixed him with a jerk that bent my bamboo like a 
fiy-rod. To this he replied by a splendid challenge; 
in one jump he flew about six feet above the water, 
and showed himself to be one of the most beautiful 
fish I had ever seen ; not one of those nondescript 
antediluvian brutes that you expect to catch in 
these extraordinary rivers, but in colour he appeared 
like a clean run salmon. He gave tremendous play, 
several times leaping out of the water, and shaking 
his head furiously to free himself from the hook; then 
darting away with eighty or a hundred yards of 
fresh line, until he at last was forced to yield to 
the strong and elastic bamboo, and his deep body 
stranded upon the fatal shallows. 

“ Baclieet was a charming lad to land a fish : he 
was always quiet and thoughtful, and never got in 
the way of the line ; this time he closely approached 
him from behind, slipped both his hands along his 
side, and hooked his fingers into the broad gills; 
thus he dragged him, splashing through the shallows, 





THE BAGGAR 


See page 229 , 



CHAP. IX.] 


FISH SALTING . 


229 


to the sand bank. What a beauty! What was he ? 
The colour was that of a salmon, and the scales were 
not larger in proportion : he was about fifty pounds 7 
weight. The back fin resembled that of a perch, 
with seven rays; the second dorsal fin towards the 
tail had fourteen rays; the head was well shaped, 
and small in proportion ; the eyes were bright red, 
and shone like rubies ; and the teeth were very 
small. I cut away my line, as the hook was deeply 
swallowed ; and after having washed this beautiful 
fish, I assisted Bacheet to carry it to the camp, 
where it was laid upon a clean mat at the tent 
door for admiration. This species of fish is con¬ 
sidered by the Arabs to be the best in the river, 
it is therefore called ‘ El Baggar 7 (the cow). It 
is a species of perch, and we found it excellent— 
quite equal to a fine trout. I made an exact sketch 
of it on the spot, after which the greater portion 
was cut up and salted; it was then smoked for 
about four hours. The latter process is necessary to 
prevent the flies from blowing it, before it becomes 
sufficiently dry to resist their attacks. 

“ For several days I passed my time in fishing, 
with the varying success that must attend all 
fishermen. Upon the extreme verge of the rivers 
bank were dense bushes of the nabbuk, about fifteen 
feet high, but so thickly massed with green foliage 
that I cut out a tunnel with my hunting knife, 
and completed a capacious arbour, thoroughly pro¬ 
tected from the sun. In this it was far more 


230 


THE ARBOUR. 


[chap. IX. 


agreeable to pass the day than at the camp ; ac¬ 
cordingly we arranged the ground with mats and 
carpets, and my wife converted the thorny bower 
into an African drawing-room, where she could sit 
with her work and enjoy the view of the river at her 
feet, and moreover watch the fishing.” 


CHAPTER X. 


A FEW NOTES AT EH^TILLA. 

I will not follow the dates of the journal con¬ 
secutively, but merely pounce from time to time 
upon such passages as will complete the description 
of our life at Elietilla. 

“ October A—I went out fishing in the usual place, 
where the Till joins the Atbara; the little stream has 
disappeared, and the bed is now perfectly dry, but 
there are many large rocks and sandbanks in the 
river, which are excellent places for heavy fish. I 
had only three runs, but I landed them all. The first 
was a beautiful baggar about forty pounds, from which 
time a long interval elapsed before I had another. I 
placed a bait of about a pound upon my treble hook, 
and this, being a fine lively fellow, was likely to en¬ 
tice a monster. I was kept waiting for a consider¬ 
able time, but at last he came with the usual tre¬ 
mendous rush. I gave him about fifty yards of line 
before I fixed him, and the struggle then commenced 
as usual with the baggar, by his springing out of the 
water, and showing his superb form and size. This 
was a magnificent fish, and his strength was so great, 


232 


EIRE THE VALLEY. 


[chap. X. 


that in liis violent rushes lie would take sixty or 
seventy yards of line without my permission. I 
could not check him, as the line burnt and cut 
my fingers to such a degree that I was forced to 
let it go, and my only way of working him was to 
project the butt of rod in the usual manner; this 
was a very feeble break upon the rush of such a 
fish. At last, after about half an hour of alternate 
bullying and coaxing, I got him into the shallows, 
and Bacheet attempted to manage him; this time 
he required the assistance of Wat Gamma, who 
quickly ran down from the camp, and after much 
struggling, an enormous baggar of between seventy 
and eighty pounds was hauled to the shore by the 
two delighted Arabs. 

“ I never enjoyed the landing of a fish more than 
on the present occasion, and I immediately had the 
flag hoisted for a signal, and sent the largest that 
I had just caught as a present to Florian and his 
people. The two fish as they lay upon the green 
reeds, glittering in silvery scales, were a sight to 
gladden the eyes of a fisherman, as their joint weight 
was above one hundred and twenty pounds. I caught 
another fish in the evening something over twenty 
pounds, an ugly and useless creature, the coor, that I 
despised, although it is a determined enemy while 
in play. 

“ October 10 .— Set fire to the low spear grass of 
the valley. The river is now very low, exposing in 
many places large beds of shingle, and rocks hitherto 


CHAP. X.] 


ARRIVAL OF BIRDS. 


233 


concealed. The water level is now about thirty feet 
below the dried sedges and trash left by the high 
floods upon the overhanging boughs. The bed of 
the Atbara, and that of the Settite, are composed of 
rounded pebbles of all sizes, and masses of iron ore. 
Large oysters, resembling the pearl oysters of Ceylon, 
are very numerous, and, from their internal appear¬ 
ance, with large protuberances of pearl matter, I 
should imagine they would most probably yield 
pearls. 

“The wild animals have now deserted this imme¬ 
diate neighbourhood; the only creatures that are to 
be seen in numbers are the apes and monkeys : these 
throng the sides of the river, eating the tamarinds 
from the few large trees, and collecting gum from 
the mimosas. These hungry animals gather the 
tamarinds before they ripen, and I fear they will 
not leave a handful for us; nothing is more 
agreeable, in this hot climate, than the acidity of 
tamarind water. I remarked a few days ago, when 
walking along the dry sandy bed of the Till about 
five miles from the river, that the monkeys had 
been digging wells in the sand for water. 

“ Many changes are now taking place in the arrival 
and departure of various birds according to their 
migrations; immense numbers of buzzards and hawks 
have arrived, and keep my fowls in perpetual 
alarm. Ducks fly in large flocks up stream invari¬ 
ably, every day ; storks of different kinds are arriving. 
Among the new comers is a beautiful little bird, 


234 SEIZED BY A CROCODILE. [chai\ x 

in size and shape like a canary, but of a deep 
bluish black, with an ivory white bill and yellow 
lips. The beasts of prey are hungry, as the game 
has become scarce:—there is no safety for tame 
animals, and our goats will not feed, as they are 
constantly on the look-out for danger, starting at 
the least sound in the bushes, and running to the 
tents for security; thus their supply of milk is much 
, reduced. 

“ The Sheik of Sofi, Hassan bel Kader, swam 
across the river with a present of fowls ; these he 
had tied upon his head to prevent them from 
drowning. This man is a celebrated hippopotamus 
hunter, and T look forward to accompanying him 
upon a harpooning expedition, when the river is 
lower. His father was killed by a bull hippo that 
he had harpooned; the infuriated animal caught 
the unfortunate hunter in his jaws, and with one 
nip disembowelled him before his sons eyes. Acci¬ 
dents are constantly occurring in this dangerous 
sport, as the hunters are so continually in the water 
that they are exposed, like baits, to the attacks of 
crocodiles. During the last season one of the sheik's 
party was killed; several men were swimming the 
river supported by inflated skins, when one was 
suddenly seized by a crocodile. Retaining his hold 
upon the support, his comrades had time to clutch 
him by the hair, and beneath the arms, thus the 
crocodile could not drag the buoyant skins beneath 
the surface. Once he was dragged from their grasp, 


chap, x.] AUDACITY OF THE BUZZARD . 235 

but bolding to bis inflated skin, be regained the 

surface, and was again supported by bis friends, 
wbo clung to bim, while be implored them to bold 

him tight, as the crocodile still held bim by the 

leg. In this way the hunters assisted him, at the 
same time they struck downwards with their spears 
at the determined brute, until they at last drove 
it from its hold. Upon gaining the shore, they 
found that the flesh of the leg from the knee down¬ 
wards had been stripped from the bone, and the 
poor fellow shortly died. 

“ October 11 .—The Arabs have murdered one of 
the Egyptian soldiers, about five miles from Sofi. All 
my people are more or less ill, but we, thank Heaven, 
are in excellent health; in fact I have never been 
better than in this country, although I am constantly 
in hard exercise in the burning sun. 

“ October 15 .—A fine breeze, therefore I set fire 
to the grass in all directions, which spread into a 
blaze over many miles of country. The fire imme¬ 
diately attracts great numbers of fly-catchers and 
buzzards; these hover in the smoke to catch the 
locusts and other insects that escape from the heat. 
Buzzards are so exceedingly bold, that it is one 
person’s special duty to protect the strips of flesh 
when an animal is being cut up, at which time 
many scores collect, and swoop down upon their 
prey, clutching a piece of meat with their claws, if 
left unguarded for a moment. Upon one occasion, 
the cook had just cleaned a fish of about a pound 


236 THE ABOMINATION OF THORNS. [chap. x. 

and a half weight, which he laid upon the ground 
while he stooped to blow up the fire ; in an instant 
a large buzzard darted upon it, and carried it off. 

“ Africa may have some charms, but it certainly is 
rather a trying country ; in the rainy weather we 
have the impenetrable high grass, the flies, and the 
mud; when those entertainments are over, and the 
grass has ripened, every variety of herb and bush 
is more or less armed with lances, swords, daggers, 
bayonets, knives, spikes, needles, pins, fish-hooks, 
hay-forks, harpoons, and every abomination in the 
shape of points, which render a leather suit indis¬ 
pensable to a sportsman, even in this hot climate. 
My knickerbockers are made of the coarse but strong 
Arab cotton cloth, that I have dyed brown with the 
fruit of the Acacia Arabica; but after a walk of a 
few minutes, I am one mass of horrible points from 
the spear grass, for about a foot from the upper 
part of my gaiters; the barbed points having pene¬ 
trated, break off, and my trousers are as comfortable 
as a hedgehog’s skin turned inside out, with the 
“ woolly side in.” 

I long for the time when the entire country 
will be dry enough to burn, when fire will make 
a clean sweep of these nuisances. 

“ October 17 .—The sheik and several Arabs went 
to the Settite to sow tobacco; they simply cast 
the seed upon the sandy loam left by the re¬ 
ceding river, without even scratching the soil; it is 
thus left to take its chance. I accompanied him 


CHAP. X.] 


BOA CONSTRICTOR. 


23 7 


to the Settite, and came upon the tracks of a 
herd of about fifty elephants that had crossed the 
river a few days previous. As we were walking 

through the high grass we came upon a fine boa 

constrictor (python), and not wishing to fire, as I 
thought I might disturb elephants in the neighbour¬ 
hood, I made a cut at it with my heavy hunting 
knife, nearly severing about four feet from the tail, 
but it escaped in the high grass. 

“ October 18 .—A lion paid us a visit last night, 
roaring close to the tent at intervals, frightening 
Mahomet out of his wits. 

“ The seroot fly has entirely disappeared, and 
immense dragon flies are now arrived, and are 

greedily attacking all other flying insects. 

u October 19. — Troops of baboons are now 
exceedingly numerous, as the country being entirely 
dried up, they are forced to the river for water, 
and the shady banks covered with berry-bearing 
shrubs induce them to remain. It is very amus¬ 
ing to watch these great male baboons stalking 
majestically along, followed by a large herd of all 
ages, the mothers carrying their little ones upon 
their backs, the latter with a regular jockey seat 
riding most comfortably, while at other times they 
relieve the monotony of the position by sprawling 
at full length and holding on by their mother’s 
back hair. Suddenly a sharp-eyed young ape dis¬ 
covers a bush well covered with berries, and his 
greedy munching being quickly observed, a general 


238 THE BABOONS HUNT FOR BERRIES. [chap. x. 

rush, of youngsters takes place, and much squabbling 
for the best places ensues among the boys; this 
ends in great uproar, when down comes a great 
male, who cuffs one, pulls another by the hair, bites 
another on the hind quarters just as he thinks 
he has escaped, drags back a would-be deserter 
by his tail, and shakes him thoroughly, and thus 
he shortly restores order, preventing all further 
disputes by sitting under the bush and quietly 
enjoying the berries by himself. These baboons 
have a great variety of expressions that may per¬ 
haps represent their vocabulary: a few of these I 
begin to understand, such as their notes of alarm, 
and the cry to attract attention; thus, when I am 
sitting alone beneath the shade of a tree to watch 
their habits, they are at first not quite certain what 
kind of a creature I may be, and they give a pecu¬ 
liar cry to induce me to move and show myself 
more distinctly. 

“ October 20 .—A lion was roaring throughout the 
night not far from the tent on his way towards the 
river to drink : at every roar he was answered by 
the deep angry cry of the baboons, who challenged 
him immediately from their secure positions on the 
high rocks and trees. I found the tracks of his 
large feet upon the bank of the river, but there is 
no possibility of finding these animals in the day 
time, as they retire to the high grass upon the 
table-lands. 

“ The banks of the Atbara are now swarming 

O 


CHAP. X.] 


MASSES OF SMALL BIRDS. 


239 


with small birds that throng the bushes (a species 
of willow), growing by the waters edge; the 
weight of a large flock bends down the slender 
boughs until they touch the water: this is their 
opportunity for drinking, as their beaks for an in¬ 
stant kiss the stream. These unfortunate little 
birds get no rest, the large fish and the crocodiles 
grab at them when they attempt to drink, while 
the falcons and hawks pursue them at all times 
and in every direction. Nothing is fat, as nothing 
can obtain rest, the innumerable birds and beasts 
of prey give no peace to the weaker kinds; the 
fattest alderman of the city of London would 
become a skeleton, if hunted for two hours daily 
by a hyaena. 

“ October 23 .—This evening I took a walk, ac¬ 
companied by my wife, and Backeet with a spare 
gun, to try for a shot at guinea-fowl. We were 
strolling along the margin of the river, when we 
heard a great shrieking of women on the opposite 
side, in the spot from which the people of Sofi 
fetch their water. About a dozen women had 
been filling their water-skins, when suddenly they 
were attacked by a large crocodile, who at¬ 
tempted to seize a woman, but she, springing 
back, avoided it, and the animal swallowed her 
girba (water-skin), that, being full of water and 
of a brown exterior, resembled the body of a 
woman. The women rushed out of the river, 
when the crocodile made a second dash at them, 


240 CUNNING OF THE CROCODILE. [chap. x. 

and seized another water-skin that a woman had 
dropped in her flight. They believe this to be 
the same monster that took a woman a few 
months ago. Few creatures are so sly and wary 
as the crocodile. I watch them continually as 
they attack the dense flocks of small birds that 
throng the bushes at the water’s edge. These 
birds are perfectly aware of the danger, and they 
fly from the attack, if possible. The crocodile 
then quietly and innocently lies upon the surface, 
as though it had appeared quite by an accident; 
it thus attracts the attention of the birds, and it 
slowly sails away to a considerable distance, ex¬ 

posed to their view. The birds, thus beguiled 
by the deceiver, believe that the danger is re¬ 
moved, and they again flock to the bush, and 

once more dip their thirsty beaks into the stream. 
Thus absorbed in slaking their thirst, they do 
not observe that their enemy is no longer on 

the surface. A sudden splash, followed by a 
huge pair of jaws beneath the bush that engulfs 
some dozens of victims, is the signal unexpec¬ 
tedly given of the crocodile’s return, who has 

thus slily dived, and hastened under cover of 
water to his victims. I have seen the crocodiles 
repeat this manoeuvre constantly; they deceive by 
a feigned retreat, and then attack from below. 

“ In like manner the crocodile perceives, while it 
is floating on the surface in mid-stream, or from 
the opposite side of the river, a woman filling her 


chap, x.] METHOD OF SEIZING ITS PREY. 241 

girba, or an animal drinking, &c. &c. Sinking im¬ 
mediately, it swims perhaps a hundred yards nearer, 
and again appearing for an instant upon the sur¬ 
face, it assures itself of the position of its prey 
by a stealthy look; once more it sinks, and 
reaches the exact spot above which the person or 
animal may be. Seeing distinctly through the 
water, it generally makes its fatal rush from be¬ 
neath—sometimes seizing with its jaws, and at 
other times striking the object into the water with 
its tail, after which it is seized and carried off. 

The crocodile does not attempt to swallow a large 
prey at once, but generally carries it away, and 
keeps it for a considerable time in its jaws in some 
deep hole beneath a rock, or the root of a tree, 
where it eats it at leisure. The tongue of the 
crocodile is so unlike that of any other creature 
that it can hardly be called by the same name; 
no portion throughout the entire length is de¬ 
tached from the flesh of the lower jaw — it is 
more like a thickened membrane from the gullet 
to about half way along the length of jaw. 

“ October 24 .—Having burnt off a large surface 
of high grass, I discovered a quantity of gourds 
and wild cucumbers—the latter are bright crimson, 
covered with long fleshy prickles, with black horny 
tips; these are eaten by the baboons, but not by 
the Arabs. The gourds are only serviceable for 
cups and ladles, manufactured from their shells. 

“ I find a good pair of Highland shooting shoes of 
R 


242 


HORSE DEALING. 


[chap. X. 


great value; the soles were exceedingly thick, and 
they have resisted, until now, the intensely hard and 
coarse-grained sandstone which grinds through all 
leather. My soles are at length worn out, and I 
have repaired them with the tanned hide of giraffe. 
Much of the sandstone is white, and soft and friable; 
but this appears to have been decomposed by time 
and exposure, as the generality is hard, and would 
make excellent grindstones. 

“ October 25 .—Three elephant-hunters arrived to¬ 
day with horses for sale. I purchased three—a bay 
and two greys. They are all of Abyssinian breed, and 
are handsome animals, although none exceed fourteen 
hands and a half. The prices were high for this 
part of the world, where dollars are scarce; but to 
me, they appeared to be absurdly cheap. The bay 
horse was a regular strong-built cob ; for him I paid 
nineteen dollars—about 4 1 including a native saddle 
and bridle; for the greys, I paid fifteen and thirteen 
dollars, saddles and bridles also included. The bay 
I named Tetel (hartebeest), the greys Aggahr* and 
Gazelle. Tetel was a trained hunter, as was Aggahr 
likewise. Gazelle was quite inexperienced, but re¬ 
markably handsome. None of these horses had ever 
been shod, but their hoofs were beautifully shaped, 
and as hard as ivory. The saddles had no stuffing 
on the seats, but were simple wooden frames, with 
high backs and pommels, the various pieces being 


* Aggahr is the designation of a hunter with the sword. 


chap, x.] ARAB SADDLES AND BITS . 243 

sewn together with raw hide, and the front and hack 
covered with crocodile skin. The stirrups were 
simple iron rings, sufficiently large to admit the 
great toe of the rider, according to Arab fashion 
in these parts. The bits were dreadfully severe; 
but perhaps not unnecessarily, as the sword allows 
only one bridle-hand to a pulling horse. Each 
horse was furnished with a leather nose-bag, and a 
long leathern thong as a picket strap. All these 
horses and saddlery I had purchased for forty-seven 
dollars, or 9/. 10s. Fortunately, both my wife and 
I were well provided with the best English saddles, 
bridles, &c. or the * big toe ’ stirrup would have been 
an awkward necessity. 

“ October 26 .—We left our camp this morning for 
a few days’ reconnaissance of the country, accom¬ 
panied by Florian, prior to commencing our regular 
expedition. Nine miles S.E. of Ehetilla we passed 
through a village called Wat el Negur, after which 
we continued along a great tract of table-land, on 
the eastern side of the Atbara valley, bounded by a 
mimosa forest about four miles on the east. Very 
large quantities of dhurra {Sorghum vulgo.re) are grown 
upon this fertile soil; it is now higher than a mans 
head when mounted upon a camel. Far as the eye 
can reach, the great table-lands extend on either 
side the broad valley of the Atbara. The cotton 
that was planted many years ago by the inhabitants 
who have vanished, still flourishes, although choked 
with grass six or seven feet high. At 4 p.m. we 
R 2 


244 ARRIVE AT SHERIF EL IBRAHIM. * [chaiy x. 

reached a large village, Sherif el Ibrahim, twenty-eight 
miles S.E. from Sofi by the route upon the east bank 
of the Atbara, which cuts off a bend in the river. A 
species of dhurra, as sweet as the sugar-cane, grows 
here in abundance, being regularly sown and cul¬ 
tivated ; it is called ankoleep. This is generally 
chewed in the mouth as a cane; but it is also peeled 
by the women, and, when dried, it is boiled with 
milk to give it sweetness. A grain called dochan, 
a species of millet, is likewise cultivated to a con¬ 
siderable extent; when ripe, it somewhat resembles 
the head of the bulrush. The whole of this country 
would grow cotton and sugar to perfection. 

“ October 28 .—Having slept at the village, we went 
to the river, and Florian shot a hippopotamus. The 
natives, having skinned it. rushed at the carcase with 
knives and axes, and fought over it like a pack of 
wolves; neither did they leave the spot until they 
had severed each bone, and walked off with every 
morsel, of this immense beast. 

“ October 31 .—Having passed a couple of days at 
Sherif el Ibrahim, we started for the Settite. When 
about half way, we arrived at a curious plateau of 
granite rock, with a pool of water in the centre. 
Formerly a large village occupied this position, named 
Gerrarat; but it was destroyed in a raid by the 
Egyptians, as being one of Mek Nimmurs strong¬ 
holds. The rock is a flat surface of about five acres, 
covered with large detached fragments of granite; 
Rear this are seyeral pools of water, which form the 


ciiap. x.] ARRIVAL AT THE SETTITE. 245 

source of the rivulet, the Till, that hounds our 
camp at Ehetilla. A large homera-tree (Adcinsonia 
digitata) grows among the blocks of granite by the 
pool; in the shade of its enormous boughs we break¬ 
fasted, and again started at 4 p.m. reaching the 
Settite river at 7.30, at a spot named Geera. In the 
dark we had some difficulty in finding our way down 
the rugged slopes of the valley to the river. We had 
not taken beds, as these incumbrances were unneces¬ 
sary when in light marching order. We therefore 
made separate bivouacs, Florian and his people about 
a hundred yards distant, while a rug laid upon the 
ground was sufficient for my. wife. I made myself 
comfortable in a similar manner. Lions were roaring 
all night. 

“ On the following morning we took a long stroll 
along the wild and rugged valley of the Settite, that 
was precisely similar to that of the Atbara. The river, 
although low, was a noble stream, and the water was 
at this season beautifully clear as it ran over a bed 
of clean pebbles. The pass between the cliffs of Geera 
was exceedingly lovely. At that point the river did 
not exceed 200 yards in width, and it flowed through 
abrupt cliffs of beautiful rose-coloured limestone; so 
fine and pure was the surface of the stone, that in 
places it resembled artificially-smoothed marble; in 
other places, the cliffs, equally abrupt, were of milk- 
white limestone of similar quality. This was the first 
spot in which I had found limestone since I had 
left Lower Egypt. The name ‘Geera/ in Arabic* 


246 . RECALL OF MAHOMET. [chap. x. 

signifies lime. Formerly this was an important vil¬ 
lage belonging to Mek Nimmur, but it had been 
destroyed by the Egyptians, and the renowned Mek 
Nimmur was obliged to fall back to the strongholds 
of the mountains. 

“ I started off a man to recall Mahomet and my 
entire camp from Ehetilla to Wat el Negur, as that 
village was only seven hours' march from Geera; the 
three points, Sherif el Ibrahim, Geera, and Wat el 
Negur formed almost an equilateral triangle. We 
reached the latter village on the following day, and 
found that Mahomet and a string of camels from 
Sofi had already arrived. The country was now 
thickly populated on the west bank of the Atbara, 
as the Arabs and their flocks had returned after the 
disappearance of the serroot fly. Mahomet had had 
an accident, having fallen from his camel and broken 
no bones, but he had smashed the stock of my single- 
barrel rifle; this was in two pieces; I mended it, and 
it became stronger than ever. The wood had broken 
short off in the neck of the stock, I therefore bored 
a hole about three inches deep up the centre of either 
piece, so that it was hollowed like a marrow bone ; in 
one of them I inserted a piece of an iron ramrod, 
red-hot, I then drew the other piece over the iron 
in a similar manner, and gently tapped the shoulder- 
plate until I had driven the broken joint firmly 
together. I then took off from a couple of old 
boxes two strong brass hasps; these I let neatly 
into the wood on each side of the broken stock. 


chap, x.] SHEIK ACHMET WAT EL NEGUR. 24/ 

and secured them by screws, filing off all projections, 
so that they fitted exactly. I finished the work by 
stretching a piece of well-soaked crocodile’s skin oyer 
the joint, which, when drawn tight, I sewed strongly 
together. When this dried it became as hard as 
horn, and very much stronger; the extreme con¬ 
traction held the work together like a vice, and my 
rifle was perfectly restored. A traveller in wild 
countries should always preserve sundry treasures 
that will become invaluable, such as strips of croco¬ 
dile skin, the hide of the iguana, &c. which should 
be kept in the tool-box for cases of need. The 
tool-box should not exceed two feet six inches in 
length and one foot in depth, but it should contain 
the very best implements that can be made, with 
an extra supply of gimlets, awls, centre-bits, and 
borers of every description, also tools for boring 
iron; at least two dozen files of different sorts 
should be included.” 

Wat el Negur was governed by a most excellent 
and polite sheik of the Jalyn tribe. Sheik Achmet 
Wat el Negur was his name and title; being of the 
same race as Mek Nimmur, he dared to occupy the 
east bank of the Atbara. Sheik Achmet was a wise 
man, he was a friend of the Egyptian authorities, 
to whom he paid tribute as though it were his 
greatest pleasure; he also paid tribute to Mek 
Nimmur, with whom he was upon the best of terms; 
therefore, in the constant fights that took place upon 
the borders, the cattle and people of Sheik Achmet 


248 MANSFIELD FABKYNS. [chap. x. 

were respected by the contending parties, while 
those of all others were sufferers. This was exactly 
the spot for my head-quarters, as, like Sheik Achmet, 
I wished to be on good terms with everybody, 
and through him I should be able to obtain an 
introduction to Mek Nimmur, whom I particularly 
wished to visit, as I had heard that there never 
was such a brigand. Accordingly, I pitched the 
tents and formed a camp upon the bank of the 
river, about two hundred yards below the village 
of Wat el Negur, and in a short time Sheik Achmet 
and I became the greatest friends. 

There is nothing more delightful when travelling 
in a strange country, a thousand miles away from the 
track of the wildest tourist, than to come upon the 
footprint of a countryman; not the actual mark 
of his sole upon the sand, which the dust quickly 
obscures, but to find imprinted deeply upon the 
minds and recollections of the people, the good 
character of a former traveller, that insures you a 
favourable intoduction. Many years before I visited 
Wat el Negur, Mr. Mansfield Parkyns, who has cer¬ 
tainly written the best book on Abyssinia that I 
have ever read, passed through this country, having 
visited Mek Nimmur, the father of the present Mek. 
He was, I believe, the only European that had ever 
been in Mek Nimmur’s territory, neither had his 
footsteps been followed until my arrival. Mr. 
Parkyns had left behind him what the Arabs call 
a “ sweet name f and as I happened to have his 


chap, x.] ADVANTAGES OF A “ SWEET NAME” 249 

book, “Life in Abyssinia,” with me, I showed it to 
the sheik as his production, and explained the illus¬ 
trations, &c.; at the same time I told him that 
Mr. Parkyns had described his visit to Mek Nimmur, 
of whom he had spoken very highly, and that I 
wished to have an opportunity of telling the great 
chief in person how much his good reception had 
been appreciated. The good Sheik Achmet im¬ 
mediately promised to present me to Mek Nimmur, 
and wished particularly to know whether I intended 
to write a book like Mr. Parkyns upon my return. 
Should I do so, he requested me to mention his 
name. I promised at once to do this trifling 
favour; thus I have the greatest pleasure in certify¬ 
ing that Sheik Achmet Wat el Negur is one of 
the best and most agreeable fellows that I have 
ever met in Africa; he does not keep an hotel, 
or I would strongly recommend it to all travellers, 
but his welcome is given gratis, with the warmest 
hospitality. 

The country for several miles upon the table-land 
above Wat el Negur was highly cultivated, and 
several thousand acres were planted with dhurra, 
that was at this season in full grain, and nearly ripe. 
Much sesam6 was grown for the manufacture of oil ; 
cotton was also cultivated, and the neighbourhood 
was a fair example of the wonderful capabilities of 
the entire country that was allowed to lie in idleness. 
There was little rest for the inhabitants at this time, 
as the nights were spent in watching their extensive 


250 ELEPHANTS DESTROY THE CROPS. [chap. x. 

plantations, and endeavouring to scare away the 
elephants. These animals, with extreme cunning, 
invaded the dhurra crops at different positions every 
night, and retreated before morning to great distances 
in the thick thorny jungles of the Settite. 

Our arrival was welcomed with general enthusiasm, 
as the Arabs were unprovided with fire-arms, and 
the celebrated aggageers or sword-hunters were useless, 
as the elephants only appeared at night, and were 
far too cunning to give them a chance. There was 
a particular range of almost impenetrable thorny 
covert in the neighbourhood of Geera, well known 
as the asylum for these animals, to which they 
retreated, after having satiated themselves by a few 
hours’ feeding upon the crops of corn. I promised 
to assist in protecting the plantations, although the 
Arabs assured me that, in spite of our rifles, the 
elephants would return every night. 

Wishing to judge personally of the damage, I 
rode up to the dhurra fields, and for a few hours I 
examined the crops, through which I could ride with 
ease, as the plants were arranged like hops. 

Many acres were absolutely destroyed, as the 
elephants had not only carefully stripped off the 
heavy heads of corn, but had trampled down and 
wilfully broken much more than they had consumed. 
The Arabs knew nothing about guns, or their effect 
upon elephants, and I felt quite sure that a few 
nights with the heavy rifles would very soon scare 
them from the fields. 


CHAr. X.] 


AN INVITATION TO SHOOT. 


251 


I return to my journal. 

“ November 7 .—In tlie middle of last night I was 
disturbed by the Arabs, who begged me to get up 
and shoot the elephants that were already in the 
plantations. This I refused to do, as I will not fire 
a shot until they call in their watchers, and leave 
the fields quiet. A few nights ago there was a 
perfect uproar from a score of watchers, that pre¬ 
vented the elephants from coming at the very time 
that the people had induced me to pass the whole 
night in the fields. I have arranged that the sheik 
shall call in all these watchers, and that they shall 
accompany me to-morrow night. I will then post 
myself in the centre of the plantations, dividing the 
men into many parties at all points, to return 
quietly to me and report the position that the 
elephants may have taken. 

“This morning I purchased a kid for two piastres 
(fivepence.) The sheik is exceedingly civil, and 
insists upon sending me daily supplies of milk and 
vegetables. 

“This afternoon, accompanied by my wife, I accepted • 
an invitation to shoot a savage old bull hippopo¬ 
tamus that had been sufficiently impertinent to chase 
several of the natives. He lived in a deep and broad 
portion of the river, about two miles distant. We 
accordingly rode to the spot, and found the old 
hippo at home. The river was about 250 yards 
wide at this place, in an acute bend that had formed 
a deep pool. In the centre of this was a mud 


252 THE HIPPO CHALLENGES BACHEET. [chap. x. 

bank, just below the surface; upon this shallow bed 
the hippo was reposing. Upon perceiving us he was 
exceedingly saucy, snorting at my party, and behav¬ 
ing himself in a most absurd manner, by shaking 
his head and leaping-half way out of the water. 
This plunging demonstration was intended to frighten 
us. I had previously given Bacheet a pistol, and had 
ordered him to follow on the opposite bank from 
the ford at Wat el Negur. I now hallooed to him 
to fire several shots at the hippo, in order to drive 
him, if possible, towards me, as I lay in ambush 
behind a rock in the bed of the river. Bacheet 
descended the almost perpendicular bank to the 
water s edge, and after having chaffed the hippo con¬ 
siderably, he fired a shot with the pistol, which was 
far more dangerous to us on the opposite side than 
to the animal. The hippo, who was a wicked soli¬ 
tary old bull, accustomed to have his own way, 
returned the insult by charging towards Bacheet 
with a tremendous snorting, that sent him scram¬ 
bling up the steep bank in a panic, amidst a roar 
of laughter from the people on my side concealed 
in the bushes. In this peal of merriment I thought 
I could distinguish a voice closely resembling that 
of my wife. However, Bacheet, who had always 
longed to be brought face to face with some foe 
worthy of his steel, had bolted, and he now stood 
safe in his elevated position on the top of the bank, 
thirty feet above the river, and fired the second 
barrel in bold defiance at the hippopotamus. 


qhap. x.] A GOOD SHOT. 253 

“ As the hippo had gained confidence, I showed 
myself above the rock, and called to him, according 
to Arab custom, ‘ Hasinth ! H&sinth ! * * He, thinking- 
no doubt that lie might as well hunt me away, gave 
a loud snort, sank, and quickly re-appeared about 
a hundred yards from me ; but nearer than this he 
positively refused to approach. I therefore called to 
Bacheet to shout from the other side to attract his 
attention, and as he turned his head, I took a 
steady shot behind the ear with the little Fletcher 
rifle. This happened to be one of those fortunate 
shots that consoles you for many misses, and the 
saucy old hippo turned upon his back and rolled 
about in tremendous struggles, lashing the still and 
deep pool into waves, until he at length disappeared. 
We knew that he was settled; thus my people 
started off towards the village, and in a marvellously 
short time a frantic crowd of Arabs arrived with 
camels, ropes, axes, knives, and everything neces¬ 
sary for an onslaught upon the hippo, who, up to 
this time, had not appeared upon the surface. Jn 
about one hour and a half from the time he received 
the bullet, we discovered his carcase floating about two 
hundred yards lower down the river. Several heads 
of large crocodiles appeared and vanished suddenly 
within a few feet of the floating carcase, therefore 
the Arabs considered it prudent to wait until the 
stream should strand the body upon the pebbly 


Hasinth is the Arabic for Hippopotamus. 


254 


A RUSH AT THE CARCASE, 


[chap. X. 


shallows about half a mile below the pool. Upon 
arrival at that point, there was a general rush, and 
the excited crowd secured the hippo by many ropes, 
and hauled it to the shore. It was a very fine 
bull, as the skin without the head measured twelve 
feet three inches. I had two haunches kept for the 
sheik, and a large quantity of fat, which is highly 
and deservedly prized by the Arabs, as it is the 
most delicate of any animal. Those portions secured, 
with a reserve of meat for ourselves, the usual dis¬ 
gusting scene of violence commenced, the crowd 
falling upon the carcase like maddened liysenas. 

“In the evening I resolved to watch the dhurra 
fields for elephants. At about 9 p.m. I arrived in 
the plantations, with three men carrying spare guns, 
among whom was Bacheet, who had at length an 
opportunity for which he had long yearned. I en¬ 
trusted to him the ‘ Baby/ which he promised to 
put into my hands the very moment that I should 
fire my second barrel. I carried my* own Ceylon 
No. 10, made by Beattie. We had not been half 
an hour in the dhurra fields before we met a couple 
of Arab watchers, who informed us that a herd of 
elephants was already in the plantation; we accord¬ 
ingly followed our guides. In about a quarter of an 
hour we distinctly heard the cracking of the dhurra 
stems, as the elephants browsed, and trampled them 
beneath their feet. 

“Taking the proper position of the wind, I led 
our party cautiously in the direction of the sound, 


















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































CHAP. X.] 


ELEPHANTS AT NIGHT. 


255 


and in about five minutes I came in view of the 
slate-coloured and dusky forms of the herd. The 
moon was bright, and I counted nine elephants; 
they had trampled a space of about fifty yards 
square into a barren level, and they were now 
slowly moving foward, feeding as they went. One 
elephant, unfortunately, was separated from the 
herd, and was about forty yards in the rear; this 
fellow I was afraid would render our approach 
difficult. Cautioning my men, especially Bacheet, 
to keep close to me with the spare rifles, I crept 
along the alleys formed by the tall rows of dhurra, 
and after carefully stalking against the wind, I felt 
sure that it would be necessary to kill the single 
elephant before I should be able to attack the herd. 
Accordingly, I crept nearer and nearer, well con¬ 
cealed in the favourable crop of high and sheltering 
stems, until I was within fifteen yards of the 
hindmost animal. As I had never shot one of 
the African species I was determined to follow the 
Ceylon plan, and get as near as possible; therefore 
I continued to creep from row to row of dhurra, 
until I at length stood at the very tail of the 
elephant in the next row. I could easily have 
touched it with my rifle, but just at this moment, 
it either obtained my wind, or it heard the rustle 
of the men. It quickly turned its head half round 
towards me ; in the same instant I took the temple 
shot, and, by the flash of the rifle, I saw that it 
fell. Jumping forward past the huge body, I fired 


256 KILL AN ELEPHANT. [chap. x. 

the left-hand barrel at an elephant that had ad¬ 
vanced from the herd ; it fell immediately ! Now 
came the moment for a grand rush, as they stumbled 
in confusion over the last fallen elephant, and jammed 
together in a dense mass with their immense ears 
outspread, forming a picture of intense astonishment! 
Where were my spare guns ? Here was a grand 
opportunity to run in and floor them right and left! 

“ Not a man was in sight, everybody had bolted! 
and I stood in advance of the dead elephant calling 
for my guns in vain. At length one of my fellows 
came up, but it was too late, the fallen elephant in 
the herd had risen from the ground, and they had all 
hustled off at a great pace, and were gone; I had 
only bagged one elephant. Where was the valiant 
Bacheet \ the would-be Nimrod, who for the last 
three months had been fretting in inactivity, and long¬ 
ing for the moment of action, when he had promised 
to be my trusty gun-bearer! He was the last man 
to appear, and he only ventured from his hiding- 
place in the high dhurra when assured of the 
elephants’ retreat. I was obliged to admonish the 
whole party by a little physical treatment, and 
the gallant Bacheet returned with us to the 
village, crest-fallen and completely subdued. On 
the following day not a vestige remained of the 
elephant, except the offal: the Arabs had not only 
cut off the flesh, but they had hacked the skull and 
the bones in pieces, and carried them off to boil 
down for soup. 


CHAPTER XI. 

THE FORD. 

Two months had elapsed since the'last drop of rain 
had closed the wet season. It was 15th November, 
and the river had fallen to so low an ebb that the 
stream was reduced to a breadth of about eighty 
yards of bright and clear water, rushing in places 
with great rapidity through the centre of its broad 
and stony bed, while in sudden bends of the chan¬ 
nel it widened into still, and exceedingly deep pools. 
We were encamped exactly upon the verge of a 
perpendicular cliff, from which there was a rugged 
path to the dry channel some thirty feet below, 
which shelved rapidly towards the centre occupied 
by the stream. In this spot were powerful rapids, 
above which to our left was a ford, at this time 
about waist-deep, upon a bed of rock that divided 
the lower rapids from a broad and silent pool above: 
across this ford the women of the village daily 
passed to collect their faggots of wood from the 
bushes on the opposite side. I had shot a crocodile, 
and a marabou stork, and I was carefully plucking 


s 


258 GIRLS CARRIED AWAY BY THE RAPIDS. [chap. xi. 

the plume of beautiful feathers from the tail of the 
bird, surrounded by a number of Arabs, when I 
observed a throng of women, each laden with a 
bundle of wood, crossing the ford in single file from 
the opposite bank. Among them were two young 
girls of about fifteen, and I remarked that these, 
instead of marching in a line with the women, were 
wading hand-in-hand in dangerous proximity to the 
head of the rapids. A few seconds later, I noticed 
that they were inclining their bodies up stream, and 
were evidently struggling with the current. Hardly 
had I pointed out the danger to the men around 
me, when the girls clung to each other, and striving 
against their fate they tottered down the stream 
towards the rapids, which rushed with such violence 
that the waves were about two feet high. With 
praiseworthy speed the Arabs started to their feet, 
and dashed down the deep descent towards the 
river, but before they had reached half way, the 
girls uttered a shriek, lost their footing, and in 
another instant they threw their arms wildly above 
their heads, and were hurried away in the foam of 
the rapids. One disappeared immediately; the other 
was visible, as her long black hair floated on the 
surface; she also sank. Presently, about twenty 
yards below the spot, a pair of naked arms pro¬ 
truded high above the surface, with ivory bracelets 
upon the wrists, and twice the hands clapped to¬ 
gether as though imploring help; again she disap¬ 
peared. The water was by this time full of men, 


CHAP. XI.] AN AMPHIBIOUS ARAB GIRL. 259 

who hacl rushed to the rescue; but they had fool¬ 
ishly jumped in at the spot where they had first 
seen the girls, who were of course by this time 
carried far away by the torrent. Once more, 
farther down the river, the hands and bracelets ap¬ 
peared ; again they wildly clapped together, and in 
the clear water we could plainly see the dark hair 
beneath. Still, she sank again, but almost imme¬ 
diately she rose head and shoulders above the 
surface, and thrice she again clapped her hands 
for aid. 

This was her last effort; she disappeared. By 
this time several men had wisely run along the 
bank below the tail of the rapids, and having formed 
a line across a very narrow portion of the stream, 
one of them suddenly clutched an object beneath 
the water, and in another moment he held the body 
of the girl in his arms. Of course she was dead? 
or a fit subject for the Royal Humane Society ?—So 
I supposed; when, to our intense astonishment, she 
no sooner was brought to the shore than she gave 
herself a shake, threw back her long hair, wrung 
out and arranged her dripping rahat, and walked 
leisurely back to the ford, which she crossed with 
the assistance of the Arab who had saved her. 

What she was composed of I cannot say; whether 
she was the offspring of a cross between mermaid 
and hippopotamus, or hatched from the egg of a 
erocodile I know not, but a more wonderfully am¬ 
phibious being I have rarely seen. 


260 SEARCH FOR THE BODY. [chai\ xi. 

During tliis painful scene, in which one girl had 
been entirely lost, the mother of her who was saved 
had rushed to meet her child as she landed from 
the ford; but instead of clasping her to her heart, 
as we had expected, she gave her a maternal wel¬ 
come by beating her most unmercifully with her 
fists, bestowing such lusty blows upon her back that 
we could distinctly hear them at a distance of fifty 
yards; this punishment, we were given to under¬ 
stand, served her perfectly right, for having been 
foolish enough to venture near the rapids. The 
melancholy deatli-howl was now raised by all the 
women in the village, while the men explored the 
river in search of the missing body. On the fol¬ 
lowing morning the sheik appeared at my tent, 
with a number of Arabs who had been unsuccessful, 
and he begged me, if possible, to suggest some 
means for the discovery of the girl, as her remains 
should be properly interred. 

I proposed that they should procure a log of heavy 
wood, as near as possible the size of the girl, and that 
this should be thrown into the rapids, in the exact 
spot where she had disappeared; this, being nearly 
the same weight, would be equally acted upon by 
the stream, and would form a guide which they 
should follow until it should lead them to some 
deep eddy, or whirlpool formed by a backwater; 
should the pilot log remain in such a spot, they 
would most probably find the body in the same 
place. The men immediately procured a log, and 


CHAP. XI.] 


TEE CORPSE RECOVERED. 


261 


set off with the sheik himself to carry out the ex¬ 
periment. In the afternoon, we heard a terrible 
howling and crying, and a crowd of men and women 
returned to the village, some of whom paid us a 
visit; they had found the body. The log had guided 
them about two miles distant, and had remained 
stationary in a backwater near where I had shot 
the bull hippopotamus; in this still pool, close to 
the bank, they almost immediately discovered the 
girl floating slightly beneath the surface. No croco¬ 
dile had injured the body, but the fish had destroyed 
a portion of the face; it was already so far advanced 
in decomposition, that it was necessary to bury it 
upon the margin of the river, at the spot where it 
was discovered. The people came to thank me for 
having originated the idea, and the very agreeable 
sheik spent the evening with us with a number ot 
his people; this was his greatest delight, and we 
had become thoroughly accustomed to his daily 
visits. At such times we sat upon an angarep, 
while he sat upon a mat stretched upon the ground, 
with a number of his men, who formed a half-circle 
around us; he then invariably requested that we 
would tell him stories about Eugland. Of these he 
never tired, and with the assistance of Mahomet we 
established a regular entertainment; the great amuse¬ 
ment of the Arabs being the mistakes that they 
readily perceived were made by Mahomet as inter¬ 
preter. We knew sufficient Arabic to check and to 
explain his errors. 


262 THE SHEIK LAYS DOWN THE LATE. [chap. xi. 

The death of the girl gave rise to a conversation 
upon drowning: this turned upon the subject of the 
oirl herself, and ended in a discussion upon the 
value of women; the question originating in a 
lament on the part of the sheik that a nice young 
oirl had been drowned instead of a useless old 

o 

woman. The sheik laid down the law with great 
force, “that a woman was of no use when she 
ceased to be young, unless she was a good strong 
person who could grind corn, and carry water from 
the river; ” in this assertion he was seconded, and 
supported unanimously, by the crowd of Arabs 
present. 

Now it was always a common practice among 
the Arab women, when they called upon my wife, 
to request her to show her hands; they would then 
feel the soft palms, and exclaim in astonishment, 
“ All ! she has never ground corn! ” that being 
the duty of a wife unless she is rich enough to 
possess slaves. Sheik Aclimet requested me to give 
him some account of our domestic arrangements in 
England ; I did this as briefly as possible, explaining 
how ladies received our devoted attentions, extolling 
their beauty and virtue, and in fact giving him an 
idea that England was paradise, and that the ladies, 
were angels. I described the variety of colours; 
that instead of all being dark, some were exceedingly 
fair; that others had red hair ; that we had many 
bright black eyes, and some irresistible dark blue; 
and at the close of my descriptions, J believe the 


chap, xi.] “ THE FACT IS SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE.” 263 

slieik and his party felt disposed to emigrate im¬ 
mediately to the chilly shores of Great Britain; 
they asked, “ How far off is your country ? ” <c Well,” 
said the slieik, with a sigh, “ that must be a very 
charming country; how could you possibly come 
away from all your beautiful wives \ True, you have 
brought one with you : she is, of course, the youngest 
and most lovely; perhaps those you have left at 
home are the old ones! ” I was obliged to explain, 
that we are contented with one wife, and that, even 
were people disposed to marry two, or more, they 
would be punished with imprisonment. This an¬ 
nouncement was received with a general expression 
of'indignation; the sheik and his party, who a few 
minutes ago were disposed to emigrate, and settle 
upon our shores, would now at the most have 
ventured upon a return ticket. After some murmurs 
of disapprobation, there was a decided expression of 
disbelief in my last statement. “Why,” said the 
sheik, “ the fact is simply impossible! How can a 
man be contented with one wife ? It is ridiculous, 
absurd! What is he to do when she becomes old ? 
When she is young, if very lovely, perhaps, he might 
be satisfied with her, but even the young must 
some day grow old, and the beauty must fade. The 
man does not fade like the woman; therefore as he 
remains the same for many years, but she changes 
in a few years, Nature has arranged that the man 
shall have young wives to replace the old ; does not 
the Prophet allow it ? Had not our forefathers many 


264 THE SHEIK’S IDEA OF MATRIMONY. [chap. xi. 

wives ? and shall we have but one ? Look at your¬ 
self. Your wife is young, and ” (here the sheik 
indulged in compliments), “ but in ten years she will 
not be the same as now ; will you not then let 
her have a nice house all to herself, when she grows 
old, while you take a fresh young wife ? ” 

I was obliged to explain to the sheik that, first, 
our ladies never looked old ; secondly, they improved 
with age; and thirdly, that we were supposed to 
love our wives with greater ardour as they advanced 
in years. This was received with an ominous shake 
of the head, coupled with the exclamation, “Mash- 
allah !” repeated by the whole party. This was the 
moment for a few remarks on polygamy: I con¬ 
tinued, “ You men are selfish ; you expect from the 
woman that which you will not give in return, 
‘constancy and love;’ if your wife demanded a 
multiplicity of husbands, would it not be impossible 
to love her ? how can she love you if you insist 
upon other wives V' “ Ah ! ” he replied, “ our women 
are different to yours, they would not love anybody; 
look at your wife, she has travelled with you far 
away from her own country, and her heart is 
stronger than a man’s; she is afraid of nothing, 
because you are with her; but our women prefer to 
be far away from their husbands, and are only happy 
when they have nothing whatever to do. You don’t 
understand our women, they are ignorant creatures, 
and when their youth is past are good for nothing 
but to work. You have explained your customs; 


chat. XI.] THE DUTIES OF HIS FOUR WIVES . 


265 


your women are adored by the men, and you are 
satisfied with one wife, either young or old ; now I 
will explain our customs. I have four wives; as one 
has become old, I have replaced her with a young 
one ; here they all are ” (he now marked four strokes 
upon the sand with his stick). “ This one carries 
water ; that grinds the corn ; this makes the 
bread ; the last does not do much, as she is the 
youngest, and my favourite; and if they neglect 
their work, they get a taste of this!” (shaking a 
long and tolerably thick stick.) “Now, that's the 
difference between our establishments; yours is well 
adapted for your country, and ours is the best plan 
for our own.” 

I would not contradict the sheik; the English 
great-coat was not the garment for the scorching 
Soudan, and English ideas were equally unsuited to 
the climate and requirements of the people. The 
girls were utterly ignorant, and the Arabs had never 
heard of a woman who could read and write; they 
were generally pretty when young, but they rapidly 
grew old after childbirth. Numbers of young girls 
and women were accustomed to bathe perfectly 
naked in the river just before our tent; I employed 
them to catch small fish for baits; and for hours 
they would amuse themselves in this way, screaming 
with excitement and fun, and chasing the small 
fry with their long cloths in lieu of nets; their 
figures were generally well shaped, but both men 
and women fell off in the development of the legs. 


266 THE MAIMED , THE HALT\ AND THE BLIND, [chap: xi. 

Very few had well-shaped calves, but remarkably 
thin and cleanly formed ankles, with very delicately 
shaped feet. The men were constantly bathing in 
the clear waters of the Atbara, and were perfectly 
naked, although close to the women; we soon became 
accustomed to this daily scene, as we do at Brighton 
and other English bathing-towns. 

Our life at Wat el Negur was anything but dis¬ 
agreeable ; we had acquired great fame in several 
ways : the game that I shot I divided among the 
people; they also took an interest in the fishing, as 
they generally had a large share of all that I caught; 
my wife was very kind to all the children, and to 
the women, who came from great distances to see 
her ; and my character as a physician having been 
spread far and wide, we became very celebrated 
people. Of course I was besieged daily by the 
maimed, the halt, and the blind, and the poor people, 
with much gratitude, would insist upon bringing 
fowls and milk in return for our attention to their 
wants. These I would never accept, but on many 
occasions, upon my refusal, the women would untie 
the legs of a bundle of chickens, and allow them 
to escape in our camp, rather than be compelled to 
return with their offering. Even the fakeers (priests) 
were our great friends, although we were Christians, 
and in my broken Arabic, with the assistance of 
Mahomet, I used to touch upon theological subjects. 
At first they expressed surprise that such clever 
people as the English should worship idols made of 


chap. xi.j THE ARAB FAKEERS OR PRIESTS ,. 267 

wood, or other substances, by the hands of man. I 
explained to them their error, as we were Protestants 
in England, who had protested against the practice 
of bowing down before the figure of Christ, or any 
other form ; that we simply worshipped God through 
Christ, believing Him to be both Saviour and Me¬ 
diator. I recalled to their recollection that Mahomet 
and they themselves believed in Christ, as the 
greatest of all the prophets, therefore in reality 
there was not so very wide a gulf between their 
creed and our own; both acknowledging the same 
God; both believing in Christ, although differing in 
the degree of that belief. I allowed that Mahomet 
was a most wonderful man, and that, if a cause is 
to be valued by its effect, he was as much entitled 
to the name of prophet as Moses, the first law¬ 
giver. Our arguments never became overheated, as 
these simple yet stedfast Arabs, who held the faith 
of their forefathers untarnished and uncorrupted by 
schisms, spoke more with reverence to the great spirit 
of religion, than with the acrimony of debate. 
“ My brothers,” I would reply, “ we are all God's 
creatures, believing in the one great Spirit who 
created us and all things, who made this atom of 
dust that we call our world, a tiny star amongst 
the hosts of heaven; and we, differing in colours 
and in races, are striving through our short but 
weary pilgrimage to the same high point; to the 
same mountain-top, where we trust to meet when 
the journey shall be accomplished. That mountain 


268 “ ALL THE SAME WITH A LITTLE DIFFERENCE [CH. XI. 

is steep, the country is desert; is there but one 
path, or are there many? Your path and mine 
are different, but with God’s help they will lead 
us to the top. Shall we quarrel over the well 
upon the thirsty way ? or shall we drink together, 
and be thankful for the cool waters, and strive to 
reach the end? Drink from my water-skin when 
upon the desert we thirst together, scorched by 
the same sun, exhausted by the same simoom, 
cooled by the same night, until we sleep at the 
journey’s end, and together thank God, Christian 
and Mahometan, that we have reached our 
home.” 

The good fakeers rejoiced in such simple explana¬ 
tions, and they came to the conclusion that we were 
“ all the same with a little difference,” thus we were 
the best of friends with all the people. If not exactly 
a cure of their Mahometan souls, they acknowledged 
that I held the key to their bow T els, which were 
entirely dependent upon my will, when the crowd 
of applicants daily thronged my medicine chest, and 
I dispensed jalap, calomel, opium, and tartar emetic. 
Upon one occasion a woman brought me a child of 
about fifteen months old, with a broken thigh; she 
had fallen asleep upon her camel, and had allowed 
the child to fall from her arms. I set the thigh, 
and secured it with gum bandages, as the mimosas 
afforded the requisite material. About twenty yards 
of old linen in bandages three inches broad, soaked 
in thick gum-water, will form the best of splints 


CHAP. XI.] 


THE CURE FOR FREN BEET. 


2C9 


wlien it becomes dry and hard, which in that 
climate it will do in about an hour. There was one 
complaint that I was obliged to leave entirely in the 
hands of the Arabs,—this was called “frendeet ” it 
was almost the certain effect of drinking the water 
that in the rainy season is accumulated in pools 
upon the surface of the rich table-lands, especially 
between the Atbara and Katariff; the latter is a 
market-town about sixty miles from Wat el Negur, 
on the west bank of the river. Frendeet commences 
with a swelling of one of the limbs, generally ac¬ 
companied with intense pain ; this is caused by a 
worm of several feet in length, but no thicker than 
pack-thread. The Arab cure is to plaster the limb 
with cow-dung, which is their common application 
for almost all complaints. They then proceed to 
make what they term “ doors,” through which the 
worm will be able to escape ; but, should it not be 
able to find one exit, they make a great number, 
by the pleasant and simple operation of pricking the 
skin in many places with a red-hot lance. In 
about a week after these means of escape are pro¬ 
vided, one of the wounds will inflame, and assume 
the character of a small boil, from which the head 
of the worm will issue. This is then seized, and 
fastened either to a small reed or piece of wood, 
which is daily and most gently wound round, until, 
in the course of about a week, the entire worm 
will be extracted, unless broken during the operation, 
in which case severe inflammation will ensue. 


270 ARRIVAL AT KATARIFF. [chap. xi. 

It was tlie 22d November, and the time was ap¬ 
proaching when the grass throughout the entire 
country would be sufficiently dry to be fired ; we 
accordingly prepared for our expedition, and it was 
necessary to go to Katariff to engage men, and to 
procure a slave in the place of old Masara, whose 
owner would not trust her in the wild countries 
we were about to visit. We therefore mounted our 
horses, and in two days we reached Katariff, rather 
less than sixty miles distant. The journey was ex¬ 
ceedingly uninteresting, as the route lay across the 
monotonous flats of rich table-land, without a single 
object to attract the attention, except the long line 
of villages which at intervals of about six miles 
lined the way. During the dry weather (the present 
season) there was not a drop of water in this 
country, except in wells far apart. Thus the cattle 
within twenty miles of the Atbara were driven 
every alternate day, that great distance to the river, 
as the wells would not supply the large herds of the 
Arabs ; although the animals could support life by 
drinking every alternate day, the cows were dry 
upon the day of fasting; this proved a certain 
amount of suffering. 

Upon arrival at Katariff we were hospitably re¬ 
ceived by a Greek merchant, Michel Georgis, a 
nephew of the good old man from whom we had 
received much attention while at Cassala. The town 
was a miserable place, composed simply of the usual 
straw huts of the Arabs; the market, or “ Soog,” 


chap, xi.] THE MARKET DAY. 271 

was bi-weekly. Katariff was also known by the 
name of “ Soog Abou Sinn.” 

I extract an entry from my journal.—“The bazaar 
held here is most original. Long rows of thatched 
open sheds, about six feet high, form a street; in 
these slieds, the dealers squat with their various 
wares exposed on the ground before them. In one, 
are Manchester goods, the calicoes are printed in 
England, with the name of the Greek merchant to 
whom they are consigned ; in another, is a curious 
collection of small wares, as though samples of larger 
quantities, but in reality they are the dealer s whole 
stock of sundries, which he deals out to numerous 
purchasers in minute lots, for paras and half piastres, 
ginger, cloves, chills, cardamoms, pepper, turmeric, 
orris root, saffron, sandal-wood, musk, a species of 
moss that smells like patchouli, antimony for colour¬ 
ing the eyes and lips, henna, glass beads, cowrie 
shells, steels for striking fire, &c. &c. Other stalls 
contain sword-blades, files, razors, and other hard¬ 
ware, all of German manufacture, and of the most 
rubbishing kind. Mingled with these, in the same 
stall, are looking-glasses, three inches square, framed 
in coloured paper-; slippers, sandals, &c. Other sheds 
contain camel ropes and bells, saddlery of all de¬ 
scriptions that are in general use, shoes, &c.; but 
the most numerous stalls are those devoted to red 
pepper, beads, and perfumery.” 

Beyond the main street of straw booths are vendors 
of miscellaneous goods, squatting under temporary 


SCENES AT THE FAIR . 


CHAP. XI. 


2/2 


fan-shaped straw screens, which are rented at the 
rate of five paras per day (about a farthing) ; beneath 
these may be seen vendors of butter and other grease, 
contained in a large jar by their side, while upon 
a stone before them are arranged balls of fat, which 
are sold at five paras a lump. Each morsel is about 
the size of a cricket ball: this is supposed to be the 
smallest quantity required for one dressing of the 
hair. Other screens are occupied by dealers in 
ropes, mats, leathern bags, girbas or water-skins, 
gum sacks, beans, waker, salt, sugar, coffee, &c. &c. 
Itinerant smiths are at work, making knife-blades, 
repairing spears, &c. with small boys working the 
bellows, formed of simple leather bags that open 
and close by the pressure of two sticks. The object 
that draws a crowd around him is a professional 
story-teller, wonderfully witty, no doubt, as being 
mounted upon a camel from which he addresses his 
audience, he provokes roars of merriment; his small 
eyes, overhanging brow, large mouth, with thin and 
tightly compressed lips and deeply dimpled cheeks, 
combined with an unlimited amount of brass, com¬ 
pleted a picture of professional shrewdness. 

Camels, cattle, and donkeys are also exposed for 
sale. The average price for a baggage camel 
is twelve dollars; a hygeen, from thirty to sixty 
dollars; a fat ox, from six to ten dollars (the dollar 
at four shillings). 

Katariff is on the direct merchants’ route from 
Cassala to Khartoum. The charge for transport is 


chap, xi.] CUSTOM OF SCARIFYING THE CHEEKS. 2J3 

accordingly low; a camel loaded with six cantars 
(600 lbs.) from this spot to Cassala, canine hired for 
one dollar, and from thence to Souakim, on the Bed 
Sea, for five dollars; thus all produce is delivered 
from Katariff to the shipping port, at a charge of 
four shillings per hundred pounds. Cotton might 
be grown to any extent on this magnificent soil, 
and would pay the planter a large profit, were regular 
steam communication established at a reasonable rate 
between Souakim and Suez. 

There is a fine grey limestone in the neighbour¬ 
hood of Katariff. The collection of people is exceed¬ 
ingly interesting upon a market day, as Arabs of all 
tribes, Tokrooris, and some few Abyssinians, concen¬ 
trate from distant points. Many of the Arab women 
would be exceedingly pretty were their beauty not 
destroyed by their custom of gashing the cheeks in 
three wounds upon either side ; this is inflicted during 
infancy. Scars are considered ornamental, and some 
of the women are much disfigured by such marks 
upon their arms and backs; even the men, without 
exception, are scarified upon their cheeks. The in¬ 
habitants of Kordofan and Darfur, who are generally 
prized as slaves, are invariably marked, not only 
with simple scars, but by cicatrices raised high 
above the natural surface by means of salt rubbed 
into the wounds; these unsightly deformities are 
considered to be great personal attractions. The 
Arab women are full of absurd superstitions; should 
a woman be in an interesting condition, she will 


T 


274 


THE GALLA SLAVE. 


[chap. XI. 


creep under the body of a strong camel, believing 
that the act of passing between the fore and hind 
legs will endue her child with the strength of the 
animal. Young infants are scored with a razor 
longitudiually down the back and abdomen, to 
improve their constitutions. 

I engaged six strong Tokrooris—natives of Darfur 
—who agreed to accompany me for five months. 
These people are a tribe of Mahometan negroes, of 
whom I shall speak more hereafter ; they are gene¬ 
rally very powerful and courageous, and I preferred 
a few men of this race to a party entirely composed 
of Arabs. Our great difficulty was to procure a 
slave woman to grind the corn and to make the 
bread for the people. 

No proprietor would let his slave on hire to go 
upon such a journey, and it was impossible to start 
without one ; the only resource was to purchase the 
freedom of some woman, and to engage her as a ser¬ 
vant for the trip. Even this was difficult, as slaves 
were scarce and in great demand : however, at last 
I heard of a man who had a Galla slave who was 
clever at making bread, as it had been her duty to 
make cakes for sale in the bazaar upon market days. 
After some delays I succeeded in obtaining an in¬ 
terview with both the master and slave at the same 
time; the former was an Arab, hard at dealing, but, 
as I did not wish to drive a bargain, I agreed to 
the price, thirty-five dollars, 71 The name of the 
woman was Barrake; she was about tw T enty-two 


chap, xi.] PURCHASE HER FREEDOM. 275 

years of age, brown in complexion, fat, and strong; 
rather tall, and altogether she was a fine powerful- 
looking woman, but decidedly not pretty; her hair 
was elaborately dressed in hundreds of long narrow 
curls, so thickly smeared with castor oil that the 
grease had covered her naked shoulders; in addi¬ 
tion to this, as she had been recently under the 
hands of the hairdresser, there was an amount of 
fat and other nastiness upon her head that gave 
her the appearance of being nearly grey. 

I now counted out thirty-five dollars, which I 
placed in two piles upon the table, and through the 
medium of Mahomet I explained to her that she 
was no longer a slave, as that sum had purchased 
her freedom; at the same time, as it was a large 
amount that I had paid, I expected she would re¬ 
main with us as a servant until our journey should 
be over, at which time she should receive a certain 
sum in money, as wages at the usual rate. Maho¬ 
met did not agree with this style of address to a 
slave, therefore he slightly altered it in the trans¬ 
lation, which I at once detected. The woman looked 
frightened and uneasy at the conclusion; I im¬ 
mediately asked Mahomet what he had told her. 
“ Same like master tell to me! ” replied the indig¬ 
nant Mahomet. “Then have the kindness to repeat 
to me in English what you said to her,” I replied. 
“ I tell that slave woman same like masters word; 
I tell her master one very good master, she Barrake 
one very bad woman; all that good dollars master 

t 2 


276 SINGULAR MISUNDERSTANDING. [chap. xr. 

pay, too much money for such a bad woman. Now 
she’s master’s slave; she belong to master like a 
dog; if she not make plenty good bread, work 
hard all day, early morning, late in night, master 
take a big stick, break her head.” 

This was the substance of a translation of my ad¬ 
dress tinged with Mahomet’s colouring, as being 
more adapted for the ears of a slave ! My wife was 
present, and being much annoyed, we both assured 
the woman that Mahomet was wrong, and I insisted 
upon his explaining to her literally that “ no Eng¬ 
lishman could hold a slave ; that the money I had paid 
rendered her entirely free ; that she would not even 
be compelled to remain with us, but she could do 
as she thought proper; that both her mistress and I 
should be exceedingly kind to her, and we would 
subsequently find her a good situation in Cairo; in 
the mean time she would receive good clothes and 
wages.” This, Mahomet, much against his will, was 
obliged to translate literally. The effect was magical; 
the woman, who had looked frightened and unhappy, 
suddenly beamed with smiles, and without any warn¬ 
ing she ran towards me, and in an instant I found 
myself embraced in her loving arms; she pressed 
me to her bosom, and smothered me with castor 
oily kisses, while her greasy ringlets hung upon my 
face and neck. How long this entertainment would 
have lasted I cannot tell, but I was obliged to cry 
“ Caffa ! Caffa ! ” (enough ! enough !) as it looked im¬ 
proper, and the perfumery was too rich; fortunately 


CIIAP. XI.] 


MAHOMET'S EXPLANATION. 


277 


my wife was present, but sbe did not appear to en¬ 
joy it more than T did ; my snow-white blouse was 
soiled and greasy, and for the rest of the day I was 
a disagreeable compound of smells, castor oil, tallow, 
musk, sandal-wood, burnt shells, and Barrake. 

Mahomet and Barrake herself, I believe, were the 
only people who really enjoyed this little event. 
“ Ha! ” Mahomet exclaimed, “ this is your own 
fault! You insisted upon speaking kindly, and tell¬ 
ing her that she is not a slave, now she thinks that she 
is one of your wives! ” This was the real fact; the 
unfortunate Barrake had deceived herself; never hav¬ 
ing been free, she could not understand the use of 
freedom unless she was to be a wife. She had un¬ 
derstood my little address as a proposal, and of 
course she was disappointed ; but, as an action for 
breach of promise cannot be pressed in the Sou¬ 
dan, poor Barrake, although free, had not the happy 
rights of a free-born Englishwoman, who can heal 
her broken heart with a pecuniary plaster, and console 
herself with damages for the loss of a lover. 

We were ready to start, having our party of ser¬ 
vants complete, six Tokrooris—Moosa, Abdoolahi, 
Abderachman, Hassan, Adow, and Hadji Ali, with 
Mahomet, Wat Gamma, Bacheet, Mahomet secundus 
(a groom), and Barrake ; total, eleven men and the 
cook. 

When half way to Wat el Negur, we found the 
whole country in alarm, Mek Nimmur having sud¬ 
denly made a foray. He had crossed the Atbara, 


278 MEK NIMMUR INVADES THE FRONTIER, [chap. xi. 

and plundered the district, and driven off large num¬ 
bers of cattle and camels, after having killed a con¬ 
siderable number of people. No doubt the reports 
were somewhat exaggerated, but the inhabitants of 
the district were flying from their villages, with their 
herds, and were flocking to KatarifF. We arrived at 
Wat el Negur on the 3d of December, and we now felt 
the advantage of our friendship with the good Sheik 
Achmet, who, being a friend of Mek Nimmur, had 
saved our effects during our absence; these would 
otherwise have been plundered, as the robbers had 
paid him a visit;—he had removed our tents and 
baggage to his own house for protection. Not only 
had he thus protected our effects, but he had taken 
the opportunity of delivering the polite message to 
Mek Nimmur that I had entrusted to his charge— 
expressing a wish to pay him a visit as a countryman 
and friend of Mr. Mansfield Parky ns, who had for¬ 
merly been so well received by his father. 

In a few days the whole country was up. Troops 
of the Dabaina Arabs, under the command of Mah¬ 
moud Wat Said (who had now assumed the chief¬ 
tainship of the tribe after the death of his brother 
Atalan), gathered on the frontier, while about 2,000 
Egyptian regulars marched against Gellabat, and 
attacked the Abyssinians and Tokrooris, who had 
united. Several hundreds of the Tokrooris were 
killed, and the Abyssinians retreated to the moun¬ 
tains. Large bodies of Egyptian irregulars threatened 
Mek Nimmur s country, but the wily Mek was too 


CHAF. XI.] 


MEK NIMMUR 1 S TACTICS. 


2/9 

mncli for them. The Jalyn Arabs were his friends; 
and, although they paid tribute to the Egyptian 
Government from their frontier villages, they acted 
as spies, and kept Mek Nimmur an courant of the 
enemy’s movements. The Hamran Arabs, those 
mighty hunters with the sword, were thorough 
Ishmaelites, and although nominally subject to 
Egypt; they were well known as secret friends to 
Mek Nimmur, and it was believed that they con¬ 
veyed information of the localities where the Dabaina 
and Shookeryha Arabs had collected their herds. 
Upon these Mek Nimmur had a knack of pouncing 
unexpectedly, when he was supposed to be a hundred 
miles in an opposite direction. 

The dry weather had introduced a season of anar¬ 
chy along the whole frontier. The Atbara was 
fordable in many places, and it no longer formed 
the impassable barrier that necessitated peace. Mek 
Nimmur (the Leopard King) showed the cunning and 
ability of his namesake by pouncing upon his prey 
without a moment’s warning, and retreating with 
ecpial dexterity. This frontier warfare, skilfully con¬ 
ducted by Mek Nimmur, was most advantageous to 
Theodorus, the King of Abyssinia, as the defence of 
the boundary was maintained against Egypt by a 
constant guerilla warfare. Upon several occasions, 
expeditions on a large scale had been organized 
against Mek Nimmur by the Governor-General of 
the Soudan; but they had invariably failed, as he 
retreated to the inaccessible mountains, where he 


280 INSECURITY OF THE COUNTRY. [chap. xi. 

had beaten them with loss, and they had simply 
wreaked their vengeance by burning the deserted 
villages of straw huts in the low lands, that a few 
dollars would quickly rebuild. Mek Nimmur was a 
most unpleasant neighbour to the Egyptian Govern¬ 
ment, and accordingly he was a great friend of the 
King Theodoras; he was, in fact, a shield that pro¬ 
tected the heart of Abyssinia. 

As I have already described, the Base were always 
at war with everybody; and as Mek Nimmur and 
the Abyssinians were constantly fighting with the 
Egyptians, the passage of the Atbara to the east 
bank was the commencement of a territory where 
the sword and lance represented the only law. The 
Hamran Arabs dared not venture with their flocks 
farther east than Geera, on the Settite, about twenty- 
five miles from Wat el Negur. From the point of 
junction of the Settite with the Atbara, opposite 
Tomat to Geera, they were now encamped with 
their herds upon the borders of the river for the 
dry season. I sent a messenger to their sheik, Owat, 
accompanied by Mahomet, with the firman of the 
Viceroy, and I requested him to supply me with 
elephant-hunters (aggageers) and guides to accom¬ 
pany me into the Base and Mek Nimmur’s country. 

My intention was to thoroughly examine all the 
great rivers of Abyssinia that were tributaries to the 
Nile. These were the Settite, Royan, Angrab, Salaam, 
Rahad, Dinder, and the Blue Nile. If possible, I 
should traverse the Galla country, and crossing the 


chap, xi.] MEK NIMMUR SENDS ME IIIS COMPLIMENTS. 281 

Blue Nile, I should endeavour to reach the White 
Nile, But this latter idea I subsequently found 
impracticable, as it would, have interfered with the 
proper season for my projected journey up the White 
Nile in search of the sources. 

During the absence of Mahomet, I received a very 
polite message from Mek Nimmur, accompanied by 
a present of twenty pounds of coffee, with an invi¬ 
tation to pay him a visit. His country lay between 
the Settite river and the Bahr Salaam; thus with¬ 
out his invitation I might have found it difficult 
to traverse his territory;—so far, all went well. I 
returned my salaams, and sent word that we in¬ 
tended to hunt through the Base country, after 
which we should have the honour of passing a few 
days with him on our road to the river Salaam, at 
which place we intended to hunt elephants and 
rhinoceros. 

Mahomet returned, accompanied by a large 
party of Hamran Arabs, including several hunters, 
one of whom was Sheik Abou Do Boussoul, the 
nephew of Sheik Owat ; as his name in full was 
too long, he generally went by the abbreviation 
“Abou Do.” He was a splendid fellow, a little 
above six feet one, with a light active figure, but 
exceedingly well developed muscles : his face was 
strikingly handsome; his eyes were like those of a 
giraffe, but the sudden glance of an eagle lighted 
them up with a flash during the excitement of con¬ 
versation, which showed little of the giraffe's gentle 


282 RODUR SHERRIF'S WITHERED ARM. [chap. xi. 

character. Abou Do was tlie only tall man of the 
party, the others were of middle height, with the 
exception of a little fellow named Jali, who was 
not above five feet four inches, but wonderfully 
muscular, and in expression a regular daredevil. 
There were two parties of hunters, one under Abou 
Do, and the other consisting of four brothers Sherrif. 
The latter were the most celebrated aggageers among 
the renowned tribe of the Hamran; their father and 
grandfather had been mighty Nimrods, and the 
broadswords wielded by their strong arms, had de¬ 
scended to the men who now upheld the prestige 
of the ancient blades. The eldest was Taher Sher¬ 
rif; his second brother, Eoder Sherrif, was a very 
small, active-looking man, with a withered left arm. 
An elephant had at one time killed his horse, and 
on the same occasion had driven its sharp tusk 
through the arm of the rider, completely splitting 
the limb, and splintering the bone from the elbow- 
joint to the wrist to such an extent, that by degrees 
the fragments had sloughed away, and the arm had 
become shrivelled and withered. It now resembled 
a mass of dried leather, twisted into a deformity, 
without the slightest shape of an arm; this was 
about fourteen inches in length from the shoulder; 
the stiff and crippled hand, with contracted fingers, 
resembled the claw of a vulture. 

In spite of his maimed condition, Eoder Sherrif 
was the most celebrated leader in the elephant hunt. 
His was the dangerous post to ride close to the 


CHAP. XI.] 


THE AGGAGEERS. 


283 


head of the infuriated animal and provoke the 
charge, and then to lead the elephant in pursuit, 
while the aggageers attacked it from behind; it was 
in the performance of this duty that he had met 
with the accident, as his horse had fallen over some 
hidden obstacle, and was immediately caught. Being 
an exceedingly light weight he had continued to 
occupy this important position in the hunt, and the 
rigid fingers of the left hand served as a hook, 
upon which he could hang the reins. 

My battery of rifles was now laid upon a mat 
for examination; they were in beautiful condition, 
and they excited the admiration of the entire party. 
The perfection of workmanship did not appear to 
interest them so much as the size of the bores; 
they thrust them fingers down each muzzle, until 
they at last came to the “Baby,” when, finding 
that two fingers could be easily introduced, they 
at once fell in love with that rifle in particular. 
My men explained that it was a “Jenna el Mootfah” 
(child of a cannon). “ Sahe, Jenna el Mootfah 
kabeer,” they replied (it is true, it is the child 
of a very big cannon). Their delight was made 
perfect by the exhibition of the half-pound explosive 
shell, the effects of which were duly explained. I 
told them that I was an old elephant hunter, but 
that I did not hunt for the sake of the ivory, as 
I wished to explore the country to discover the 
cause of the Nile inundations, therefore I wished to 
examine carefully the various Abyssinian rivers; but 


284 


MIXTURE FOR BULLETS. 


[chap. XI. 


as I had heard they were wonderful sportsmen, I 
should like them to join my party, and we could 
both hunt and explore together. They replied that 
they knew every nook and corner of the entire 
country as far as Mek Nimmur’s and the Base, but 
that in the latter country we must be prepared to 
fight, as they made a practice of showing no quarter 
to the Base, because they received none from them; 
thus we should require a strong party. I pointed 
to my rifles, which I explained were odds against 
the Base, who were without fire-arms; and we 
arranged to start together on the 17th of December. 

Tn the interval I was busily engaged in making 
bullets for the journey, with an admixture of one 
pound of quicksilver to twelve of lead. This hardens 
the bullet at the same time that it increases the 
weight, but great caution must be observed in the 
manufacture, as the mercury, being heavier than 
the lead, will sink to the bottom, unless stirred with 
a red-hot iron when mixed. The admixture must 
take place in small quantities, otherwise the quick¬ 
silver will evaporate if exposed to a great heat. 
Thus the molten lead should be kept upon the fire 
in a large reservoir, while a portion of quicksilver 
should be added regularly to every ladleful taken 
for immediate use. This should be well stirred before 
it is poured into the mould. Bullets formed of this 
mixture of metals are far superior to any others. 

My preparations for the journey were soon com¬ 
pleted. We had passed a most agreeable time at 


CHAP. XI.] WE MAKE ARROWROOT. 285 

Wat el Negur. Although I had not had much 
shooting, I gained much experience in the country, 
having made several extensive journeys in the 
neighbourhood, and our constant conversations with 
the sheik had somewhat improved my Arabic. I 
had discovered several plants hitherto unknown to 
me,—among others, a peculiar bulb, from which I 
had prepared excellent arrowroot. This produced 
several tubers resembling sweet potatoes, but exceed¬ 
ingly long and thin ; it was known by the Arabs 
as “ baboon.” I pierced with a nail a sheet of tin 
from the lining of a packing case, and quickly im¬ 
provised a grater, upon which I reduced the bulb 
to pulp. This I washed in water, and when strained 
through cotton cloth, it was allowed to settle for 
several hours. The clear water was then poured 
off, and the thick sediment, when dried in the sun, 
became arrowroot of the best quality. The Arabs 
had no idea of this preparation, but simply roasted 
the roots on the embers. 

On the 17th of August, 1861, accompanied by the 
German Florian, we started from Wat el Negur, 
and said good-bye to our very kind friend, Sheik 
Achmet, who insisted upon presenting us with a 
strong but exceedingly light angarep (bedstead), 
suitable for camel travelling, and an excellent water¬ 
skin, that we should be constantly reminded of him, 
night and day. 

Florian was in a weak condition, as he had 
suffered much from fever throughout the rainy 


285 


FLORIAN 1 S HUNTER. 


[chap. XI. 


season. He started under disadvantageous circum¬ 
stances, as lie had purchased -a horse that was a 
had bargain. The Arabs, who are sharp practi¬ 
tioners, had dealt hardly with him, as they had sold 
him a wretched brute that could make no other use 
of its legs than to kick. Of course they had imposed 
upon poor Florian a long history of how this horse 
in a giraffe hunt had been the first at the death, &c. 
&c., and he, the deceived, had promised to shoot a 
hippopotamus to give them in barter. This he had 
already done, and he had exchanged a river horse, 
worth twenty dollars, for a terrestrial horse, worth 
twenty piastres. 

Florian had never mounted a horse in his lifetime, 
as his shooting had always been on foot. This he 
now explained to us, although the confession was 
quite unnecessary, as his first attempt at mounting 
was made upon the wrong side. 

Throughout his journey to Geera on the Settite, 
there was a constant difference of opinion between 
him and his new purchase, until we suddenly heard 
a heavy fall. Upon looking back, I perceived Florian 
like a spread eagle, on his stomach upon the ground, 
lying before the horse, who was quietly looking at 
his new master. On another occasion, I heard a 
torrent of abuse expressed in German, and upon 
turning round I found him clinging to the neck of 
his animal, having lost both stirrups, while his rifle 
had fallen to the ground. He was now cursing his 
beast, whom he accused of wilful murder, for having 


ciiap. xi.] 


ARRIVE AT GEERA. 


287 


replied by a kick to a slight tap lie bad administered 
with a stick. I could not help suggesting that he 
would find it awkward should he be obliged to 
escape from an elephant upon that animal in rough 
and difficult ground, where good riding would be 
essential; and he declared that nothing should 
tempt him either to hunt or to escape from any 
beast on horseback, as he would rather trust to 
his legs. 

Upon arrival at Geera, we bivouacked upon the 
sandy bed of the river, which had much changed in 
appearance since our last visit. Although much 
superior to the Atbara, the stream was confined to a 
deep channel about 120 yards wide, in the centre of 
the now dry bed of rounded pebbles and sand. 
Exactly opposite were extensive encampments of the 
Hamran Arabs, who were congregated in thousands 
between this point and the Atbara junction. Their 
limit for pasturage was about six miles up stream 
from Geera, beyond which point they dare not trust 
their flocks on account of their enemies, the Base. 

We were immediately visited, upon our arrival, 
by a number of Arabs, including the Sheik Abou 
Do, from whom T purchased two good milk goats 
to accompany us upon our journey. I had already 
procured one at Wat el Negur in exchange for 
a few strips of hippopotamus hide for making 
whips. 

Lions were roaring all night close to our sleep¬ 
ing place; there were many of these animals in 


288 FOLLOW A HERD OF ELEPHANTS. [chap. xi. 

this neighbourhood, as they were attracted by the 
flocks of the Arabs. 

On the following morning, at daybreak, several 
Arabs arrived with a report that elephants had 
been drinking in the river within half an hours 
march of our sleeping-place. I immediately started 
with my men, accompanied by Florian, and we 
shortly arrived upon the tracks of the herd. I 
had three Hamran Arabs as trackers, one of whom, 
Taher Noor, had engaged to accompany us through¬ 
out the expedition. 

For about eight miles we followed the spoor 
through high-dried grass and thorny bush, until 
we at length arrived at dense jungle of kittar,— 
the most formidable of the hooked thorn mimosas. 
Here the tracks appeared to wander; some elephants 
having travelled straight ahead, while others had 
strayed to the right and left. While engaged in 
determining the path of the herd, we observed four 
giraffes at about half a mile distant, but they had 
already perceived us, and were in full flight. For 
about two hours we travelled upon the circuitous 
tracks of the elephants to no purpose, when we 
suddenly were startled by the shrill trumpet of 
one of these animals in the thick thorns, a few 
hundred yards to our left. The ground was so 
intensely hard and dry that it was impossible to 
distinguish the new tracks from the old, which 
crossed and recrossed in all directions. I there¬ 
fore decided to walk carefully along the outskirts 


chap, xi.] TRACK UP TEE ELEPHANTS 289 

of the jungle, trusting to find their place of en¬ 
trance by the fresh broken boughs. In about an 
hour we had thus examined two or three miles, 
without discovering a clue to their recent path, when 
we turned round a clump of bushes, and suddenly 
came in view of two grand elephants, standing at 
the edge of the dense thorns; having our wind, 
they vanished instantly into the thick jungle. We 
could not follow them, as their course was down 
wind*; we therefore made a circuit to leeward for 
about a mile, and, finding that the elephants had 
not crossed in that direction, we felt sure that w T e 
must come upon them with the wind in our favour 
should they still be within the thorny jungle; this 
was certain, as it was their favourite retreat. 

With the greatest labour I led the way, creeping 
frequently upon my hands and knees to avoid the 
hooks of the kittar bush, and occasionally listening 
for a sound. At length, after upwards of an hour 
passed in this slow and fatiguing advance, I dis¬ 
tinctly heard the flap of an elephant’s ear, shortly 
followed by the deep guttural sigh of one of those 
animals, within a few paces, but so dense was the 
screen of jungle that I could see nothing. We 
waited for some minutes, but not the slightest 
sound could be heard; the elephants were aware 
of danger, and they were, like ourselves, listening 
attentively for the first intimation of an enemy. 
This was a highly exciting moment; should they 
charge, there' would not be a possibility of escape, 


290 


A TREMENDOUS CRASH. 


[chap. XI* 


as the hooked thorns rendered any sudden move¬ 
ment almost impracticable. In another moment, 
there was a tremendous crash ; and, with a sound 
like a whirlwind, the herd dashed through the 
crackling jungle. I rushed forward, as I was un¬ 
certain whether they were in advance or retreat; 
leaving a small sample of my nose upon a kittar 
thorn, and tearing my way, with naked arms, 
through what, in cold blood, would have appeared 
impossible. I caught sight of two elephants leading 
across my path, with the herd following in a dense 
mass behind them. Firing a shot at the leading 
elephant, simply in the endeavour to check the 
herd, I repeated with the left-hand barrel at the 
head of his companion; this staggered him, and 
threw the main body into confusion : they imme¬ 
diately closed up in a dense mass, and bore every¬ 
thing before them, but the herd exhibited merely 
an impenetrable array of hind quarters wedged 
together so firmly that it was impossible to obtain 
a head or shoulder shot. I was within fifteen 
paces of them, and so compactly were they packed, 
that with all their immense strength they could 
not at once force so extensive a front through the 
tough and powerful branches of the dense kittar. 
For about half a minute they were absolutely 
checked, and they bored forward with all their 
might in their determination to open a road 
through the matted thorns ; the elastic boughs, 
bent from their position, sprang back with dan- 


CHAP. XI.] 


A CRITICAL POSITION. 


291 


gerous force, and would liave fractured the skull 
of any one who came within their sweep. A very 
large elephant was on the left flank, and for an 
instant this turned obliquely to the left; I quickly 
seized the opportunity, and fired the “Baby,” with 
an explosive shell, aimed far back in the flank, 
trusting that it would penetrate beneath the opposite 
shoulder. The recoil of the “Baby,” loaded with 
ten drachms of the strongest powder and a half- 
pound shell, spun me round like a top—it was 
difficult to say which was staggered the most se¬ 
verely, the elephant or myself; however, we both 
recovered, and I seized one of my double rifles, a 
Beilly No. 10, that was quickly pushed into my 
hand by my Tokroori, Hadji Ali. This was done 
just in time, as an elephant from the baffled herd 
turned sharp round, and, with its immense ears 
cocked, it charged down upon us with a scream 
of rage. “ One of us she must have, if I 
miss! ” 

This was the first downright charge of an African 
elephant that I had seen, and instinctively I fol¬ 
lowed my old Ceylon plan of waiting for a close 
shot. She lowered her head when within about 
six yards, and I fired low for the centre of the 
forehead, exactly in the swelling above the root of 
the trunk. She collapsed to the shot, and fell 
dead, with a heavy shock, upon the ground. At 
the same moment, the thorny barrier gave way 
before the pressure of the herd, and the elephants 


292 THE FOREHEAD SHOT. [chap. xi. 

disappeared in the thick jungle, through which it 
was impossible to follow them. 

I had suffered terribly from the hooked thorns, 
and the men likewise. This had been a capital 
trial for my Tokrooris, who had behaved remark¬ 
ably well, and had gained much confidence by my 
successful forehead shot at the elephant when in 
full charge; but I must confess that this is the 
only instance in which I have succeeded in killing 
an African elephant by the front shot, although 
I have steadily tried the experiment upon sub¬ 
sequent occasions. 

Florian had not had an opportunity of firing a 
shot, as I had been in his way, and he could not 
pass on one side owing to the thorns. 

We had very little time to examine the elephant, 
as we were far from home, and the sun was already 
low. I felt convinced that the other elephant could 
not be far off, after having received the “Baby’s” 
half-pound shell carefully directed, and I resolved to 
return on the following morning with many people 
and camels to divide the flesh. It was dark by the 
time we arrived at the tents, and the news im¬ 
mediately spread through the Arab camp that two 
elephants had been killed. 

On the following morning we started, and, upon 
arrival at the dead elephant, we followed the tracks 
of that wounded by the “Baby.” The blood upon the 
bushes guided us in a few minutes to the spot 
where the dead elephant lay dead, at about 300 


chap, xi.] THE HALF-POUND EXPLOSIVE SHELL. 293 

yards distance. The whole day passed in flaying 
the two animals, and cutting off the flesh, which 
was packed in large gum sacks, with which the 
camels were loaded. I was curious to examine the 
effect of the half-pound shell: it had entered the 
flank on the right side, breaking the rib upon which 
it had exploded ; it had then passed through the 
stomach and the lower portion of the lungs, both 
of which were terribly shattered, and breaking one 
of the fore-ribs on the left side, it had lodged beneath 
the skin of the shoulder. This was irresistible work, 
and the elephant had evidently dropped in a few 
minutes after having received the shell. 

The elephant killed by the Reilly rifle No. 10, 
with a conical bullet of quicksilver and lead, pro¬ 
pelled by seven drachms of powder, had entered the 
exact centre of the forehead of elephant No. 1, and, 
passing completely through the brain and the back 
part of the skull, we found it sticking fast in the 
spine, betiveen the shoulders. These No. 10 Reillys* 
were wonderfully powerful rifles, and exceedingly 
handy; they weighed fourteen pounds, and were 
admirably adapted for dangerous game. I measured 
both the elephants accurately with a tape: that 
killed by the “Baby” was nine feet six inches from 
the forefoot to the shoulder, the other was eight feet 
three inches. It is a common mistake that twice the 

* They are now in England at Mr. Keilly’s, No. 215, Oxford 
Street, having accompanied me throughout my expedition, and 
they have never been out of order. 


294 RECOVER MY OLE WOUNDED ELEPHANT, [chap. xi. 

circumference of tlie foot is the height of an elephant, 
there is no such rule that can he depended upon, 
as their feet vary in size without any relative pro¬ 
portion to the height of the animal. 

A most interesting fact had occurred: when I 
found the larger elephant, killed by the “Baby,” I 
noticed an old wound unhealed and full of matter 
in the front of the left shoulder; the bowels were 
shot through, and were green in various places. 
Florian suggested that it must be an elephant that 
I had wounded at Wat el Negur ; we tracked the 
course of the bullet most carefully, until we at 
length discovered my unmistakeable bullet of quick¬ 
silver and lead, almost uninjured, in the fleshy 
part of the thigh, imbedded in an unhealed wound. 
Thus, by a curious chance, upon my first interview 
with African elephants by daylight, I had killed 
the identical elephant that I had wounded at Wat 
el Negur forty-three days ago in the dhurra planta¬ 
tion, twenty-eight miles distant! Both these elephants 
were females. It was the custom of these active 
creatures to invade the dhurra fields from this great 
distance, and to return to these almost impenetrable 
thorny jungles, where they were safe from the attack 
of the aggageers, but not from the rifles. 

On our return to camp, the rejoicings were great; 
the women yelled as usual, and I delighted the 
Hamrans by dividing the meat, and presenting them 
with the hides for shields. I gave Abou Do, and 
all the hunters, and my camel drivers, large quantities 


chap, xi.] FRATERNIZE WITH THE SWORD HUNTERS. 295 

of fat; and I found that I was accredited as a 
brother hunter by the knights of the sword, who 
acknowledged that their weapons were useless in 
the thick jungles of Tooleet, the name of the place 
where we had killed the elephants. 


CHAPTER XII. 


OLD NEPTUNE JOINS THE PARTY. 

We started from Geera, on the 23d of December, 
with our party complete. The Hamran sword-hunters 
were Abou Do, Jali, and Sulieman. My chief 
tracker was Taber No or, who, although a good 
hunter, was not a professional aggahr, and I was 
accompanied by the father of Abou Do, who was 
a renowned “ howarti,” or harpooner of hippopotami. 
This magnificent old man might have been Neptune 
himself; he stood about six feet two, and his 
grizzled locks hung upon his shoulders in thick 
and massive curls, while his deep bronze features 
could not have been excelled in beauty of outline. 
A more classical figure I have never beheld than 
the old Abou Do with his harpoon, as he first 
breasted the torrent, and then landed dripping from 
the waves to join our party from the Arab camp 
on the opposite side of the river. In addition to 
my Tokrooris, I had engaged nine camels, each 
with a separate driver, of the Hamrans, who were 
to accompany us throughout the expedition. These 


CHAP. XIJ.J 


THE ARAB CENTAURS. 


29 - 


people were glad to engage themselves with their 
camels included at one and a half dollars (six 
shillings) per month, for man and beast as one. 
We had not sufficient baggage to load five camels, 
but four carried a large supply of corn for our 
horses and people. 

Hardly were we mounted and fairly started, than 
the monkey-like agility of our aggageers was dis¬ 
played in a variety of antics, that were far more 
suited to performance in a circus than to a party 
of steady and experienced hunters, who wished to 
reserve the strength of their horses for a trying 
journey. 

Abou Do was mounted on a beautiful Abyssinian 
horse, a grey; Sulieman rode a rough and inferior¬ 
looking beast; while little Jali, who was the pet of 
the party, rode a grey mare, not exceeding fourteen 
hands in height, which matched her rider exactly 
in fire, spirit, and speed. Never was there a more 
perfect picture of a wild Arab horseman than Jali 
on his mare. Hardly was he in the saddle, than 
away flew the mare over the loose shingles that 
formed the dry bed of the river, scattering the 
rounded pebbles in the air from her flinty hoofs, 
while her rider in the vigour of delight threw him¬ 
self almost under her belly while at full speed, and 
picked up stones from the ground, which he flung, 
and again caught as they descended. Never were 
there more complete Centaurs than these Hamran 
Arabs; the horse and man appeared to be one 




298 


WILD ARAB HORSEMANSHIP. 


[chap. XII. 


animal, and that of the most elastic nature, that 
could twist and turn with the suppleness of a snake; 
the fact of their being separate beings w T as proved 
by the rider springing to the earth with his drawn 
sword while the horse was in full gallop over rough 
and difficult ground, and clutching the mane, he 
again vaulted into the saddle with the agility of a 
monkey, without once checking the speed. The fact 
of being on horseback had suddenly altered the 
character of these Arabs; from a sedate and proud 
bearing, they had become the wildest examples of 
the most savage disciples of Nimrod; excited by 
enthusiasm, they shook their naked blades aloft till 
the steel trembled in their grasp, and away they 
dashed over rocks, through thorny bush, across 
ravines, up and down steep inclinations, engaging 
in a mimic hunt, and going through the various 
acts supposed to occur in the attack of a furious 
elephant, I must acknowledge that, in spite of 
my admiration for their wonderful dexterity, I began 
to doubt their prudence. I had three excellent 
horses for my wife and myself; the Hamran hunters 
had only one for each; and, if the commencement 
were an example of their usual style of horseman¬ 
ship, I felt sure that a dozen horses would not be 
sufficient for the work before us. However, it was 
not the moment to offer advice, as they were 
simply mad with excitement and delight. 

The women raised their loud and shrill yell at 
partiug, and our party of about twenty-five persons, 


chap, xii.] DISCIPLINE OF THE GUN-BEARERS. 299 

With nine camels, six horses, and two donkeys, ex¬ 
clusive of the German Florian, with his kicking 
giraffe-hunter, and attendants, ascended the broken 
slope that formed the bread valley of the Settite 
river. 

There was very little game in the neighbourhood, 
as it was completely overrun by the Arabs and 
their flocks; and we were to march about fifty 
miles E.S.E. before we should arrive in the happy 
hunting-grounds of the Base country, where we 
were led to expect great results. Previous to leaving 
Wat el Negur I had thoroughly drilled my Tokrooris 
in their duties as gun-bearers, which had established 
a discipline well exemplified in the recent affair 
with the elephants. I had entrusted to them my 
favourite rifles, and had instructed them in their 
use; each man paid particular regard to the rifle 
that he carried, and, as several were of the same 
pattern, they had marked them with small pieces 
of rag tied round the trigger guards. This esprit 
de corps was most beneficial to the preservation 
of the arms, which were kept in admirable order. 
Mahomet, the dragoman, rode my spare horse, and 
carried my short double-barrelled rifle, slung across 
his back, in the place of his pistols and gun, which 
he had wilfully thrown upon the desert when leaving 
Berber. As the horse was restive, and he had placed 
the hammers upon the caps, his shirt caught in 
the lock, and one barrel suddenly exploded, which, 
with an elephant-charge of six drachms of powder, 


3C0 OFF GOES THE GUN , AND ITS MASTER! [chap. xit. 

was rather startling, within a few inches of his 
ear, and narrowly escaped the back of his skull. 
Florian possessed a single-barrel rifle, which he 
declared to have accompanied him through many 
years of sports : this weapon had become so fond 
of shooting, that it was constantly going off on its 
own account, to the great danger of the bystanders, 
and no sooner were we well off on our journey, 
than off went this abominable instrument in a spon¬ 
taneous feu de joi , in the very midst of us! 
Its master was accordingly off likewise, as his horse 
gave the accustomed kick, that was invariably the 
deed of separation. However, we cantered on ahead 
of the dangerous party, and joined the aggageers, 
until we at length reached the table-land above the 
Settite valley. Hardly were we arrived, than we 
noticed in the distance a flock of sheep and goats 
attended by some Arab boys. Suddenly, as Don 
Quixote charged the sheep, lance in hand, the 
aggageers started off in full gallop, and as the 
frightened flock scattered in all directions, in a few 
moments they were overtaken by the hunters, each 
of whom snatched a kid, or a goat, from the ground 
while at full speed, and placed it upon the neck of 
his horse, without either halting or dismounting. 
This was a very independent proceeding; but, as 
the flock belonged to their own tribe, they laughed 
at the question of property that I had immediately 
raised, and assured me that this was the Arab 
custom of insuring their breakfast, as we should 


chap, xii.] OMBREGA (.MOTHER OF THE THORN). 301 

kill no game during that day. In this they were 
mistaken, as I killed sufficient guinea-fowl to render 
the party independent of other food. 

In a day's march through a beautiful country, 
sometimes upon the high table-land to cut off a bend 
in the river, at other times upon the margin of the 
stream in the romantic valley, broken into countless 
hills and ravines covered with mimosas, we arrived 
at Ombrega (mother of the thorn), about twenty-four 
miles from Geera. In that country, although unin¬ 
habited from fear of the Base, every locality upon 
the borders of the river has a name. Ombrega, is 
a beautiful situation, where white sandstone cliffs of 
about two hundred feet perpendicular height, wall in 
the river, which, even at this dry season, was a noble 
stream, impassable except at certain places, where 
it was fordable. Having descended the valley we 
bivouacked in the shade of thick nabbuk trees 
(Rhamnus lotus), whose evergreen foliage forms a 
pleasing exception to the general barrenness of the 
mimosas during the season of drought. We soon 
arranged a resting-place, and cleared away the grass 
that produced the thorn which had given rise to 
the name of Ombrega, and in a short time we were 
comfortably settled for the night. We were within 
fifty yards of the river—the horses were luxuriating 
in the green grass that grew upon its banks, and 
the camels were hobbled, to prevent them from 
wandering from the protection of the camp fires, as we 
were now in the wilderness, where the Base by day, 


302 LEOPARD SPRINGS INTO THE CAMP. [chap. xii. 

and the lion and leopard by night, were hostile 
to man and beast. The goats, upon which we de¬ 
pended for our supply of milk, were objects of especial 
care: these were picketed to pegs driven in the 
ground close to the fires, and men were ordered to 
sleep on either side. We had three greyhounds 
belonging to the Arabs, and it was arranged that, in 
addition to these guards, a watch should be kept by 
night. 

The dense shade of the nabbuk had been chosen 
by the Arabs as a screen to the camp-fires, that might 
otherwise attract the Base, who might be prowling 
about the country; but, as a rule, however pleasant 
may be the shade during the day, the thick jungle, 
and even the overhanging boughs of a tree, should be 
avoided at night. Snakes and noxious insects gene¬ 
rally come forth after dark—many of these inhabit 
the boughs of trees, and may drop upon the bed of 
the unwary sleeper; beasts of prey invariably inhabit 
the thick jungles, in which they may creep unper¬ 
ceived to within springing distance of an object in 
the camp. 

We were fast asleep a little after midnight, when 
we were awakened by the loud barking of the dogs, 
and by a confusion in the camp. Jumping up on 
the instant, I heard the dogs, far away in the dark 
jungles, barking in different directions. One of the 
goats was gone ! A leopard had sprung into the camp, 
and had torn a goat from its fastening, although tied 
to a peg, between two men, close to a large fire. The 


CHAP. XI1.] 


THE BOG CARRIED OFF. 


303 


dogs had given chase ; hut, as usual in such cases, 
they were so alarmed as to be almost useless. We 
quickly collected 'firebrands, and searched the jungles, 
and shortly we arrived where a dog was barking 
violently. Near this spot we heard the moaning of 
some animal among the bushes, and upon a search 
with firebrands we discovered the goat, helpless 
upon the ground, with its throat lacerated by the 
leopard. A sudden cry from the dog at a few yards 
distance, and the barking ceased. 

The goat was carried to the camp, where it shortly 
died. We succeeded in recalling two of the dogs : 
but the third, that was the best, was missing, having 
been struck by the leopard. We searched for the 
body in vain, and concluded that it had been 
carried off. 

On the following day, we discovered fresh tracks 
of elephants at sunrise. No time was lost in starting, 
and, upon crossing the river, we found that a large 
herd had been drinking, and had retreated by a pecu¬ 
liar ravine. This cleft through the sandstone rocks, 
which rose like walls for about a hundred feet upon 
either side, formed an alley about twenty yards 
broad, the bottom consisting of snow-white sand that, 
in the rainy season, formed the bed of a torrent from 
the upper country. This herd must have comprised 
about fifty elephants, that must have been in the 
same locality for several days, as the ground was 
trampled in all directions, and the mimosas upon 
the higher land were uprooted in great numbers : 


304 


THE BULL ELEPHANT. 


[chap. XII. 


but after following upon the tracks for several hours 
with great difficulty, owing to the intricacy of their 
windings upon the dry and hard 'ground, we met 
with a sign fatal to success,—the footprints of two 
men. In a short time we met the men them¬ 
selves, two elephant-hunters who had followed the 
herd on foot, with the sword as their only weapon : 
they had found the elephants, which had obtained 
their wind and had retreated. 

The Sheik Abou Do was furious at the auda¬ 
city of these two Hamrans, who had dared to dis¬ 
turb our hunting-grounds, and he immediately 
ordered them to return to Geera. 

In addition to the tracks of the herd, we had 
seen that of a large single bull elephant; this we 
now carefully followed, and, after many windings, 
we felt convinced that he was still within the 
broken ground that formed the Settite valley. After 
some hours most difficult tracking, Taker Noor, 
who was leading the way, suddenly sank gently 
upon all fours. This movement was immediately, 
but quietly imitated by the whole party, and I 
quickly distinguished a large grey mass about sixty 
yards distant among the bushes, which, being quite 
leafless, screened the form of the bull elephant, as 
seen through a veil of treble gauze. I felt quite sure 
that we should fail in a close approach with so large 
a party. I therefore proposed that I should lead 
the way with the Ceylon No. 10, and creep quite 
close to the elephant, while one of the aggageers 


CHAP. XII.] 


THE FOREHEAD SHOT FAILS. 


305 


should attempt to sabre the back sinew. Jali whis¬ 
pered, that the sword was useless in the high and 
thick grass in which he was standing, surrounded 
by thorns; accordingly I told Florian to follow 
me, and I crept forward. With difficulty, upon 
hands and knees, I avoided the hooked thorns that 
would otherwise have fastened upon my clothes, 
and, with the wind favourable, I at length suc¬ 
ceeded in passing through the intervening jungle, 
and arrived at a small plot of grass that was suf¬ 
ficiently high to reach the shoulder of the elephant. 
This open space was about fifteen yards in dia¬ 
meter, and was surrounded upon all sides by thick 
jungle. He was a splendid bull, and stood tempt¬ 
ingly for a forehead shot, according to Ceylon 
practice, as he was exactly facing me at about ten 
yards distance. Having been fortunate with the 
front shot at Geera, I determined to try the effect; 
I aimed low, and crack went the old Ceylon No. 
10 rifle, with seven drachms of powder and a ball 
of quicksilver and lead. For an instant the smoke 
in the high grass obscured the effect, but almost 
immediately after, I heard a tremendous rush, and, 
instead of falling, as I had expected, I saw the 
elephant crash headlong through the thorny jungle. 
No one was behind me, as Florian had misunder¬ 
stood the arrangement that he was to endeavour 
to obtain a quick shot should I fail. I began to 
believe in what I had frequently heard asserted, 
that the forehead shot so fatal to the Indian ele- 


x 


306 the MOUNTAIN CHAIN OF ABYSSINIA, [chap. xii. 

pliant had no effect upon the African species, ex¬ 
cept by mere chance. I had taken so steady an 
aim at the convexity at the root of the trunk, 
that every advantage had been given to the bullet; 
but the rifle that in Ceylon had been almost cer¬ 
tain at an elephant, had completely failed. It was 
cpiite impossible to follow the animal through the 
jungle of hooked thorns. On our way toward the 
camp we saw tracks of rhinoceros, giraffes, buffa¬ 
loes, and varieties of antelopes, but none of the 
animals themselves. 

On the following morning we started, several 
times fording the river to avoid the bends : our 
course was due east. After the first three hours' 
ride through a beautiful country bordering the Set- 
tite valley, which we several times descended, we 
came in clear view of the magnificent range of 
mountains, that from Geera could hardly be dis¬ 
cerned ; this was the great range of Abyssinia, some 
points of which exceed 10,000 feet. The country 
that we now traversed was so totally uninhabited 
that it was devoid of all footprints of human beings; 
even the sand by the river's side, that like the 
snow confessed every print, was free from all traces 
of man. The Base were evidently absent from our 
neighbourhood. 

We had several times disturbed antelopes during" 
the early portion of the march, and we had just 
ascended from the rugged slopes of the valley, when 
we observed a trcop of about a hundred baboons, who- 


chap, xil] A HUNT AFTER A HERE OF BABOONS. 307 

were gathering gum arabic from the mimosas; upon 
seeing us, they immediately waddled off. “ Would 
the lady like to have a girrit (baboon) V’ exclaimed 
the ever-excited Jali: being answered in the affirma¬ 
tive, away dashed the three hunters in full gallop 
after the astonished apes, who, finding themselves 
pursued, went off at their best speed. The ground 
was rough, being full of broken hollows, covered 
scantily with mimosas, and the stupid baboons, 
instead of turning to the right into the rugged and 
steep valley of the Settite, where they would have 
been secure from the aggageers, kept a straight course 
before the horses. It was a curious hunt; some of 
the very young baboons were riding on their mothers' 
backs: these were now going at their best pace, 
holding on to their maternal steeds, and looking 
absurdly human ; but, in a few minutes, as we closely 
followed the Arabs, we were all in the midst of 
the herd, and with great dexterity two of the ag¬ 
gageers, while at full speed, stooped like falcons 
from their saddles, and seized each a half-grown ape 
by the back of the neck, and hoisted them upon 
the necks of the horses. Instead of biting, as I had 
expected, the astonished captives sat astride of the 
horses, and clung tenaciously with both arms to the 
necks of their steeds, screaming with fear. The hunt 
was over, and we halted to secure the prisoners. 
Dismounting, to my surprise the Arabs immediately 
stripped from a mimosa several thongs of bark, and 
having tied the baboons by the neck, they gave 
x 2 


308 


THE PRISONERS . 


[ciiap. xii. 


them a merciless whipping with their powerful 
coorbatches of hippopotamus hide. It was in vain 
that I remonstrated against this harsh treatment ; 
they persisted in the punishment, otherwise they 
declared that the baboons would bite, but if well 
whipped they would become “miskeen” (humble). 
At length my wife insisted upon mercy, and the 
unfortunate captives wore an expression of counten¬ 
ance like prisoners about to be led to execution, and 
they looked imploringly at our faces, in which they 
evidently discovered some sympathy with their fate. 
They were quickly placed on horseback before their 
captors, and once more we continued our journey, 
highly amused with the little entr'acte. 

We had hardly ridden half a mile, when I per¬ 
ceived a fine bull tetel [Antelope Bubalis) standing 
near a bush a few hundred yards distant. Motion¬ 
ing to the party to halt, I dismounted, and wdth 
the little Fletcher rifle I endeavoured to obtain a 
shot. When within about a hundred and seventy 
yards, he 'observed our party, and I was obliged to 
take the shot, although I could have approached 
unseen to a closer distance, had his attention not 
been attracted by the noise of the horses. He threw 
his head up preparatory to starting off, and he was 
just upon the move as I touched the trigger. He 
fell like a stone to the shot., but almost immediately 
he regained his feet and bounded off, receiving a 
bullet from the second barrel without a flinch; 
in full speed lie rushed away across the party of 


ciiap. xii.] A COURSE AFTER A TETEL. 3C9 

aggageers about three hundred yards distant. Out 
dashed Abou Do from the ranks on his active grey 
horse, and away he flew after the wounded tetel; 
his long hair floating in the wind, his naked sword 
in hand, and his heels digging into the flanks of 
his horse, as though armed with spurs in the last 
finish of a race. It was a beautiful course ; Abou 
Do hunted like a cunning greyhound; the tetel 
turned, and taking advantage of the double, he cut 
off the angle : succeeding by the manoeuvre, he again 
followed at tremendous speed over the numerous 
inequalities of the ground, gaining in the race until 
he was within twenty yards of the tetel, when we 
lost sight of both game and hunter in the thick 
bushes. By that time I had regained my horse, 
that was brought to meet me, and I followed 
to the spot, towards which my wife, and the agga¬ 
geers encumbered with the unwilling apes, were 
already hastening. Upon arrival, I found, in high 
yellow grass beneath a large tree, the tetel dead, 
and Abou Do wiping his bloody sword, surrounded 
by the foremost of the party. He had hamstrung 
the animal so delicately, that the keen edge of the 
blade was not injured against the bone. My two 
bullets had passed through the tetel; the first was 
too high, having entered above the shoulder—this 
had dropped the animal for a moment; the second 
was through the flank. The Arabs now tied the 
baboons to trees, and employed themselves in care¬ 
fully skinning the tetel so as to form a sack from 


310 


THE CRY OF BUFFALOES . 


[chap. XII. 


the hide; they had about half finished the operation, 
when we were disturbed by a peculiar sound at a 
considerable distance in the jungle, which, being 
repeated, we knew to be the cry of buffaloes. In 
an instant the tetel was neglected, the aggageers 
mounted their horses, and leaving my wife with a 
few men to take charge of the game, accompanied 
by Florian we went in search of the buffaloes. This 
part of the country was covered with grass about 
nine feet high, that was reduced to such extreme 
dryness that the stems broke into several pieces 
like glass as we brushed through it. The jungle 
was open, composed of thorny mimosas at such wide 
intervals that a horse could be ridden at consider¬ 
able speed, if accustomed to the country. Alto¬ 
gether it was the perfection of ground for shooting, 
and the chances were in favour of the rifle. 

We had proceeded carefully about half a mile when 
I heard a rustling in the grass, and I shortly perceived 
a bull buffalo standing alone beneath a tree, close to 
the sandy bed of a dried stream, about a hundred 
yards distant between us and the animal; the grass 
had been entirely destroyed by the trampling of a 
large herd. I took aim at the shoulder with one of 
my No. 10 Beilly rifles, and the buffalo rushed for¬ 
ward at the shot, and fell about a hundred paces 
beyond in the bush. At the report of the shot, the 
herd that we had not observed, which had been lying 
upon the sandy bed of the stream, rushed past us 
with a sound like thunder, in a cloud of dust raised 


CHAP. XII.] 


1FE HUJS T AND CAPTURE . 


311 


by several hundreds of large animals in full gallop. 
I could hardly see them distinctly, and I waited for 
a good chance, when presently a mighty bull sepa¬ 
rated from the rest, and gave me a fair shoulder shot. 
I fired a little too forward, and missed the shoulder; 
but I made a still better shot by mistake, as the 
Reilly bullet broke the spine through the neck, and 
dropped him dead. Florian, poor fellow, had not 
the necessary tools for the work, and one of his light 
guns produced no effect. Now came the time for 
the aggageers. Away dashed Jali on his fiery mare, 
closely followed by Abou Do and Suleiman, who in 
a few instants were obscured in the cloud of dust 
raised by the retreating buffaloes. As soon as I could 
mount my horse that had been led behind me, I 
followed at full speed, and spurring hard, I shortly 
came in sight of the three aggageers, not only in 
the dust, but actually among the rear buffaloes of 
the herd. Suddenly, Jali almost disappeared from the 
saddle as he leaned forward with a jerk, and seized 
a fine young buffalo by the tail. In a moment Abou 
Do and Suleiman sprang from their horses, and I 
arrived just in time to assist them in securing a 
fine little bull of about twelve hands high, whose 
horns were six or seven inches long. A pretty fight 
we had with the young Hercules. The Arabs, stuck 
to him like bull-dogs, in spite of his tremendous 
struggles, and Florian, with other men, shortly arriv¬ 
ing, we secured him by lashing his legs together 
with our belts until impromptu ropes could be made 


312 


THE BABOONS TAKE LEAVE. 


[chap. XII. 


with mimosa bark. I now returned to the spot where 
we had left my wife and the tetel. T found her 
standing about fifty yards from the spot with a double 
rifle cocked, awaiting an expected charge from one 
of the buffaloes that, separated from the herd, had 
happened to rush in her direction. Mahomet had 
been in an awful fright, and was now standing secure 
behind his mistress. I rode through the grass with 
the hope of getting a shot, but the animal had dis¬ 
appeared. We returned to the dead tetel and to 
our captive baboons ; but times had changed since 
we had left them. One had taken advantage of our 
absence, and, having bitten through his tether, he 
had escaped; the other had used force instead of 
cunning, and, in attempting to tear away from con¬ 
finement, had strangled himself with the slip-knot 
of the rope. 

The aggageers now came up with the young buf¬ 
falo. This was a great prize, as zoological specimens 
were much sought after at Cassala by an agent from 
Italy, who had given contracts for a supply. My 
hunters, to whom I willingly gave my share in the 
animal, left one of their party with several of my 
people to obtain the assistance of the camel-drivers, 
who were not far distant in the rear; these were to 
bring the flesh of the animals, and to drive the young 
bull on the march. 

We now pushed on ahead, and at 5 p.m. we arrived 
at the spot on the margin of the Settite river at which 
we were to encamp for some time. 


CHAP. XII.] 


THE VALLEY OF THE SETTITE. 


313 


In this position, the valley of the Settite had 
changed its character: instead of the rugged and 
broken slopes on either side of the river, ascending 
gradually to the high table-lands, the east bank of 
the river was low, and extended, in a perfect flat 
for about eight miles, to the foot of an abrupt 
range of hills; the base had many ages ago formed 
the margin of the stream, which had washed this 
enormous mass of soil towards the Atbara river, to 
be carried by the Nile for a deposit in Lower 
Egypt. During the rainy season, the river over¬ 
flowed its banks, and attained a width in many 
places of six and seven hundred yards. The soil 
was rich, and, having imbibed much moisture from 
a periodical overflow, it gave birth to thick jungles 
of nabbuk (Rhamnus lotus), together with luxuriant 
grass, which being beautifully green while all other 
leaves and herbage were parched and withered, 
afforded pasturage and shade that attracted a number 
of wild animals. For many miles on either side, 
the river was fringed with dense groves of the 
green nabbuk, but upon the east bank, an island 
had been formed of about three- hundred acres; this 
was a perfect oasis of verdure, covered with large 
nabbuk trees, about thirty feet high, and forming a 
mixture of the densest coverts, with small open glades 
of rich but low herbage. To reach this island, upon 
which we were to encamp, it was necessary to cross 
the arm of the river, that was now dry, with the ex¬ 
ception of deep pools, in one of* which we perceived a 


314 


THE BULL BUFFALO. 


[chap. XII. 


Large bull buffalo drinking, just as we descended 
the hill. As this would be close to the larder, I 
stalked to within ninety yards, and fired a Reilly 
No. 10 into his back, as his head inclined to the 
water. For the moment he fell upon his knees, 
but recovering immediately, he rushed up the steep 
bank of the island, receiving my left-hand barrel 
between the shoulders, and he disappeared in the 
dense covert of green nabbuk on the margin. As 
we were to camp within a few yards of the spot, 
he was close to home; therefore, having crossed the 
river, we carefully followed the blood tracks through 
the jungle; but, after having pushed our way for 
about twenty paces through the dense covert, I came 
to the wise conclusion that it was not the place for 
following a wounded buffalo, and that we should 
find him dead on the next morning. A few yards 
upon our right hand was a beautiful open glade, 
commanding a view of the river, and surrounded 
by the largest nabbuk trees that afforded a delightful 
shade in the midst of the thick covert. This was 
a spot that in former years had been used by the 
aggageers as a camp, and we accordingly dismounted, 
and turned the horses to graze upon the welcome 
grass. Each horse was secured to a peg by a long 
leathern thong, as the lions in this neighbourhood 
were extremely dangerous, having the advantage of 
thick and opaque jungle. 

We employed ourselves until the camels should 
arrive, in cutting thorn branches, and constructing 


CHAP, xii.l THU ISLAND CAMP. 315 

a zareeba, or fenced camp, to protect our animals 
during the night from the attack of wild beasts. 
I also hollowed out a thick green bush to form 
an arbour, as a retreat during the heat of the day, 
and in a short space of time we were prepared for 
the reception of the camels and effects. The river 
had cast up immense stores of dry wood; this we 
had collected, and, by the time the camels arrived 
with the remainder of our party after dark, huge 
fires were blazing high in air, the light of which 
had guided them direct to our camp. They were 
heavily laden with meat, which is the Arab's great 
source of happiness, therefore in a few minutes the 
whole party was busily employed in cutting the 
flesh into long thin strips to dry; these were hung 
in festoons over the surrounding trees, while the 
fires were heaped with tit-bits of all descriptions. 
I had chosen a remarkably snug position for ourselves ; 
the two angareps (stretchers) were neatly arranged 
in the middle of a small open space free from over¬ 
hanging boughs; near these blazed a large fire, upon 
which were roasting a row of marrow-bones of 
buffalo and tetel, while the table was spread with 
a clean cloth, and arranged for dinner. 

The woman Barrake, who had discovered with 
regret that she was not a wife but a servant, had 
got over the disappointment, and was now making 
dhurra cakes upon the doka: this is a round earthen¬ 
ware tray about eighteen inches in diameter, which, 
supported upon three stones or lumps of earth, over 


316 


MAHOMET HEATS THE LIONS. 


[chap. XII. 


a fire of glowing embers, forms a hearth. Slices 
of liver, well peppered with cayenne and salt, were 
grilling on the gridiron, and we were preparing to dine, 
when a terrific roar within a hundred and fifty 
yards informed us that a lion was also thinking of 
dinner. A confusion of tremendous roars proceeding 
from several lions followed the first round, and my 
aggageers quietly remarked, “ There is no danger 
for the horses to-night, the lions have found your 
wounded buffalo! ” 

Such a magnificent chorus of bass voices I had 
never heard; the jungle cracked, as with repeated 
roars they dragged the carcase of the buffalo through 
the thorns to the spot where they intended to devour 
it. That which was music to our ears was discord 
to that of Mahomet, who with terror in his face 
came to us and exclaimed : “ Master, what’s that ? 
What for master and the missus come to this bad 
country ? That’s one bad kind will eat the missus in 
the night! Perhaps he come and eat Mahomet 1 ” 
This after-thought was too much for him, and 
Bacheet immediately comforted him by telling the 
most horrible tales of death and destruction that 
had been wrought by lions, until the nerves of 
Mahomet were completely unhinged. 

This was a signal for story-telling, when suddenly 
the aggageers changed the conversation by a few tales 
of the Base natives, which so thoroughly eclipsed 
the dangers of wild beasts, that in a short time the 
entire party would almost have welcomed a lion, 


CHAP. XII.] 


TALES OF THE BASE . 


3J7 


provided lie would only have agreed to protect them 
from the Base. In this very spot where we were 
then camped, a party of Arab hunters had, two 
years previous, been surprised at night and killed 
by the Base, who still boasted of the swords that 
they possessed as spoils from that occasion. The 
Base knew this spot as the favourite resting-place 
of the Hamran hunting-parties, and they might be 
not far distant now , as we were in the heart of 
their country. This intelligence was a regular damper 
to the spirits of some of the party. Mahomet quietly 
retired and sat down by Barrake, the ex-slave woman, 
having expressed a resolution to keep awake every 
hour Ahat he should be compelled to remain in that 
horrible country. The lions roared louder and louder, 
but no one appeared to notice such small thunder ; 
all thoughts were fixed upon the Base, so thoroughly 
had the aggageers succeeded in frightening not only 
Mahomet, but also our Tokrooris. 


CHAPTER XIII. 


THE LIONS FIND THE BUFFALO. 

Eably on the following morning the lions were still 
roaring, apparently within a hundred yards of the 
camp. I accordingly took a Reilly No. 10, double 
rifle, and accompanied by my wife, who was anxious 
to see these glorious animals, and who carried my 
little Fletcher No. 24, I skirted the outside of the 
jungle on the high bank, on the narrow arm of the 
river. We were not long in finding traces of the 
lions. A broad track in the sandy bed of the 
dried stream showed where the buffalo had been 
dragged across to the thick and impervious green 
bushes, exactly beneath us on the margin of the 
river. A hind quarter of the buffalo, much gnawed, 
lay within seven or eight paces of us, among the 
bushes that had been trampled down, and the dung 
of numerous lions lay upon the open ground near 
the place of their concealment. We had tw r o 
Tokrooris with us, carrying spare rifles, and I felt 
sure that the lions were within the bushes of dense 
nabbuk, which concealed them as perfectly as though 


CHAP. XIII.] 


WE SEEK AN INTRODUCTION. 


319 


behind a closed curtain. We approached within 
three or four yards of this effective screen, when 
suddenly we heard the cracking of bones, as the 
lions feasted in their den close to us ; they would 
not show themselves, nor was there any possibility 
of obtaining a shot; therefore, after ascending the high 
bank, and waiting for some time in the hope that 
one might emerge to drag away the exposed portion 
of the buffalo, we returned to camp. 

The aggageers had already returned from a re- 
connaisance of the country, as they had started 
before daybreak in search of elephants; they re¬ 
ported the fresh tracks of a herd, and they begged 
me to lose no time in accompanying them, as the 
elephants might retreat to a great distance. There 
was no need for this advice; in a. few minutes my 
horse Tetel was saddled, and my six Tokrooris 
and Bacheet, with spare rifles, were in attendance. 
Bacheet, who had so ingloriously failed in his first 
essay at Wat el Negur, had been so laughed at 
by the girls of the village for his want of pluck, 
that he had declared himself ready to face the devil 
rather than the ridicule of the fair sex; and, to do 
him justice, he subsequently became a first-rate lad 
in moments of danger. 

The aggageers were quickly mounted. It was a 
sight most grateful to a sportsman to witness the 
start of these superb hunters, who with the sabres 
slung from the saddle-bow, as though upon an 
everyday occasion, now left the camp with these 


320 THE START OF THE SWORD HUNTERS, [chap. xm. 

simple weapons, to meet the mightiest animal of 
the creation in hand-to-hand conflict. The horses' 
hoofs clattered as we descended the shingly beach, 
and forded the river shoulder-deep, through the 
rapid current, while those on foot clung to the 
manes of the horses, and to the stirrup-leathers, to 
steady themselves over the loose stones beneath. 

Shortly after our arrival upon the opposite side, 
we came upon numerous antelopes of the nellut 
(A. Strepsiceros) and tetel (A. Bubalis). I would not 
fire at these tempting animals as we were seeking 
nobler game. 

Tracking was very difficult; as there was a total 
absence of rain, it was next to impossible to dis¬ 
tinguish the tracks of two days' date from those 
most recent upon the hard and parched soil ; the 
only positive clue was the fresh dung of the ele¬ 
phants, and this being deposited at long intervals 
rendered the search extremely tedious. The greater 
part of the day passed in useless toil, and, after 
fording the river backwards and forwards several 
times, we at length arrived at a large area of sand 
in the bend of the stream, that was evidently over¬ 
flowed when the river was full; this surface of 
many acres was backed by a forest of large trees. 
Upon arrival at this spot, the aggageers, who ap¬ 
peared to know every inch of the country, declared 
that, unless the elephants had gone far away, they 
must be close at hand, within the forest. We were 
speculating upon the direction of the wind, when 


CHAr. XIII.] 


THE BULL ELEPHANT. 


321 

we were surprised by the sudden trumpet of an 
elephant, that proceeded from the forest already de¬ 
clared to be the covert of the herd. In a few 
minutes later, a fine bull elephant marched ma¬ 
jestically from the jungle upon the large area of 
sand, and proudly stalked direct towards the river. 

At that time we were stationed under cover of 
a high bank of sand that had been left by the 
retiring river in sweeping round an angle ; we im¬ 
mediately dismounted, and remained well concealed. 
The question of attack was quickly settled; the ele¬ 
phant was quietly stalking towards the water, which 
was about three hundred paces distant from the 
jungle : this intervening space was heavy dry sand, 
that had been thrown up by the stream in the 
sudden bend of the river, which, turning from this 
point at a right angle, swept beneath a perpendi¬ 
cular cliff of conglomerate rock formed of rounded 
pebbles cemented together. 

I proposed that we should endeavour to stalk the 
elephant, by creeping along the edge of the river, 
under cover of a sand-bank about three feet high, 
and that, should the rifles fail, the aggageers should 
come on at full gallop, and cut off his retreat from 
the jungle ; we should then have a chance for the 
swords. 

Accordingly, I led the way, followed by Hadji 
Ali, my head Tokroori, with a rifle, while I carried 
the “ Baby.” Florian accompanied us. Having the 
wind fair, we advanced quickly for about half the 


Y 


322 THE “ BABY ” SCREAMS AT HIM. [chap. xiii. 

distance, at which time we were within a hundred 
and fifty yards of the elephant, who had just arrived 
at the water, and had commenced drinking. We 
now crept cautiously towards him ; the sand-bank 
had decreased to a height of about two feet, and 
afforded very little shelter. Not a tree nor bush 
grew upon the surface of the barren sand, which was 
so deep that we sank nearly to the ankles at every 
footstep. Still we crept forward, as the elephant 
alternately drank, and then spouted the water in a 
shower over his colossal form; but just as we had 
arrived within about fifty yards, he happened to 
turn his head in our direction, and immediately 
perceived us. He cocked his enormous ears, gave 
a short trumpet, and for an instant he wavered in 
his determination whether to attack or fly; but as 
I rushed towards him with a shout, he turned towards 
the jungle, and I immediately fired a steady shot at 
the shoulder with the “ Baby.” As usual, the fearful 
recoil of the rifle, with a half-pound shell and twelve 
drachms of powder, nearly threw me backwards ; 
but I saw the mark upon the elephants shoulder 
in an excellent line, although rather high. The only 
effect of the shot was to send him off at great speed 
towards the jungle; but at the same moment the 
three aggageers came galloping across the sand like 
greyhounds in a course, and, judiciously keeping 
parallel with the jungle, they cut off his retreat, 
and, turning towards the elephant, they confronted 
him, sword in hand. At once the furious beast 



























































































































































































































































































































chap, xiil] THE FIGHT\ SWORD IN HAND. 323 

charged straight at the enemy; but now came the 
very gallant, but foolish, part of the hunt. Instead 
of leading the elephant by the flight of one man 
and horse, according to their usual method, all the 
aggageers at the same moment sprang from their 
saddles, and upon foot in the heavy sand they 
attacked the elephant with their swords. 

In the way of sport, I never saw anything so 
magnificent, or so absurdly dangerous. No gladia¬ 
torial exhibition in the Koman arena could have 
surpassed this fight. The elephant was mad with 
rage, and nevertheless he seemed to know that the 
object of the hunters was to get behind him. This 
he avoided with great dexterity, turning as it were 
upon a pivot with extreme quickness, and chargiug 
headlong, first at one, and then at another of his 
assailants, while he blew clouds of sand in the air 
with his trunk, and screamed with fury. Nimble as 
monkeys, nevertheless the aggageers could not get 
behind him. In the folly of excitement they had 
forsaken their horses, who had escaped from the spot. 
The depth of the loose sand was in favour of the 
elephant, and was so much against the men that 
they avoided his charges with extreme difficulty. It 
was only by the determined pluck of all three, that 
they alternately saved each other, as two invariably 
dashed in at the flanks when the elephant charged 
the third, upon which the wary animal immediately 
relinquished the chase, and turned round upon his 
pursuers. During this time, I had been labouring 
Y 2 


324 ABOV DO'S BLADE TASTES BLOOD . [chap. xiii. 

through the heavy sand, and shortly after I arrived 
at the fight, the elephant charged directly through 
the aggageers, receiving a shoulder shot from one of 
my Reilly No. 10 rifles, and at the same time a 
slash from the sword of Abou Do, who, with great 
dexterity and speed, had closed in behind him, just 
in time to reach the leg. Unfortunately, he could 
not deliver the cut in the right place, as the elephant, 
with increased speed, completely distanced the agga¬ 
geers ; he charged across the deep sand, and reached 
the jungle. We were shortly upon his tracks, and 
after running about a quarter of a mile, he fell dead 
in a dry watercourse. His tusks were, like the gene¬ 
rality of Abyssinian elephants, exceedingly short, 
but of good thickness. 

Some of our men, who had followed the runaway 
horses, shortly returned, and reported that, during 
our fight with the bull, they had heard other ele¬ 
phants trumpeting in the dense nabbuk jungle 
near the river. A portion of thick forest of about 
two hundred acres, upon this side of the river, was 
a tempting covert for elephants, and the aggageers, 
who were perfectly cognisant with the habits of the 
animals, positively declared that the herd must be 
within this jungle. Accordingly, we proposed to 
skirt the margin of the river, which, as it made a 
bend at right angles, commanded two sides of a 
square. Upon reaching the jung^ by the river side, 
we again heard the trumpet of an elephant, and 
about a quarter of a mile distant we observed a 


ciiap. xni.] 


WE FIND THE HERD . 


325 


herd of twelve of these animals shoulder-deep in 
the river, which they were in the act of crossing to 
the opposite side, to secure themselves in an almost 
impenetrable jungle of thorny nabbuk. The aggageers 
advised that we should return to the ford that we 
had already crossed, and, by repassing the river, we 
should most probably meet the elephants, as they 
would not leave the thick jungle until the night. 
Having implicit confidence in their knowledge of 
the country, I followed their directions, and we 
shortly recrossed the ford, and arrived upon a dry 
portion of the river's bed, banked by a dense thicket 
of nabbuk. 

Jali now took the management of affairs. We 
all dismounted, and sent the horses to a considerable 
distance lest they should by some noise disturb the 
elephants. We shortly heard a cracking in the jungle 
on our right, and Jali assured us, that, as he had 
expected, the elephants were slowly advancing along 
the jungle on the bank of the river, and, they would 
pass exactly before us. We waited patiently in the 
bed of the river, and the cracking in the jungle 
sounded closer as the herd evidently approached. 
The strip of thick thorny covert that fringed the 
margin was in no place wider than half a mile— 
beyond that, the country was open and park-like, but 
at this season it was covered with parched grass 
from eight to ten feet high; the elephants would, 
therefore, most probably remain in the jungle until 
driven out. 


326 


JALI LEADS THE PARTY. 


[chap. XIII. 


In about a quarter of an hour, we heard by the 
noise in the jungle, about a hundred yards from the 
river, that the elephants were directly opposite to us. 

I accordingly instructed Jali to creep quietly by 
himself into the bush and to bring me information 
of their position : to this he at once agreed. 

In three or four minutes he returned; he declared 
it impossible to use the sword, as the jungle was so 
dense that it would check the blow, but that I could 
use the rifle, as the elephants were close to us—he 
had seen three standing together, between us and 
the main body of the herd. I told Jali to lead me 
direct to the spot, and, followed by Florian and the 
aggageers, with my gun-bearers, I kept within a foot 
of my dependable little guide, who crept gently into 
the jungle ; this was intensely thick, and quite im¬ 
penetrable, except in such places where elephants and 
other heavy animals had trodden numerous alleys. 
Along one of these narrow passages we stealthily 
advanced, until Jali stepped quietly on one side, and 
pointed with his finger : I immediately observed two 
elephants looming through the thick bushes about 
eight paces from me. One offered a temple shot, 
which I quickly took with a Beilly No. 10, and 
floored it on the spot. The smoke hung so thickly, 
that I could not see sufficiently distinctly to fire my 
second barrel before the remaining elephant had 
turned ; but Florian, with a three-ounce steel-tipped 
bullet, by a curious shot at the hind quarters, injured 
the hip joint to such an extent that we could more 


CHAP. XIII.] THE FOREHEAD SHOT FAIRLY PROVED. 3 0/ 

than equal the elephant in speech In a few moments 
we found ourselves in a small open glade in the 
middle of the jungle, close to the stern of the elephant 
we were following. I had taken a fresh rifle, with 
both barrels loaded, and hardly had I made the 
exchange, when the elephant turned suddenly, and 
charged. Determined to try fairly the forehead shot, 
I kept my ground, and fired a Beilly No. 10, quick¬ 
silver and lead bullet, exactly in the centre, when 
certainly within four yards. The only effect was 
to make her stagger backwards, when, in another 
moment, with her immense ears thrown forward, 
she again rushed on. This was touch-and-go ; but 
I fired my remaining barrel a little lower than 
the first shot. Checked in her rush, she backed 
towards the dense jungle, throwing her trunk about 
and trumpeting with rage. Snatching the Ceylon 
No. 10 from one of my trusty Tokrooris (Hassan), I 
ran straight at her, took a most deliberate aim at the 
forehead, and once more fired. The only effect was a 
decisive charge; but before I fired my last barrel, 
Jali rushed in, and, with one blow of his sharp sword, 
severed the back sinew. She was utterly helpless in 
the same instant. Bravo Jali! I had fired three 
beautifully correct shots with No. 10 bullets, and 
seven drachms of powder in each charge ; these were 
so nearly together that they occupied a space in her 
forehead of about three inches, and all had failed to 
kill! There could no longer be any doubt that the 
forehead shot at an African elephant could not be 


228 THE CHARGE OF THE PHALANX. [chap. xiii. 

relied upon, although so fatal to the Indian species : 
this increased the danger tenfold, as in Ceylon I 
had generally made certain of an elephant by steadily 
waiting until it was close upon me. 

I now reloaded my rifles, and the aggageers quitted 
the jungle to remount their horses, as they expected 
the herd had broken cover on the other side of the 
jungle; in which case they intended to give chase, 
and, if possible, to turn them back into the covert, 
and drive them towards the guns. We accordingly 
took our stand in the small open glade, and I lent 
Florian one of my double rifles, as he was only pro¬ 
vided with one single-barrelled elephant gun. I did 
not wish to destroy the prestige of the rifles, by 
hinting to the aggageers that it would be rather 
awkward for us to receive the charge of the in¬ 
furiated herd, as the foreheads were invulnerable; 
but inwardly I rather hoped that they would not 
come so direct upon our position as the aggageers 
wished. 

About a quarter of an hour passed in suspense, 
when we suddenly heard a chorus of wild cries of 
excitement on the other side of the jungle, raised 
by the aggageers who had headed the herd, and were 
driving them back towards us. In a few minutes 
a tremendous crashing in the jungle, accompanied 
by the occasional shrill scream of a savage elephant, 
and the continued shouts of the mounted aggageers, 
assured us that they were bearing down exactly upon 
our direction; they were apparently followed even 


CHAP. XIII.] MY “BABY” KICKS VICIOUSLY. 


329 


through the dense jungle by the wild and reckless 
Arabs. I called my men close together, and told 
them to stand fast, and hand me the guns quickly ; 
and we eagerly awaited the onset that rushed towards 
us like a storm. On they came, tearing everything 
before them. For a moment the jungle quivered and 
crashed ; a second later, and, headed by an immense 
elephant, the herd thundered down upon us. The 
great leader came direct at me, and was received 
with right and left in the forehead from a Reilly 
No. 10 as fast as I could pull the triggers. The shock 
made it reel backwards for an instant, and fortunately 
turned it, and the herd likewise. My second rifle was 
beautifully handed, and I made a quick right and 
left at the temples of two fine elephants, dropping 
them both stone-dead. At this moment the “Baby” 
was pushed into my hand by Hadji Ali just in time 
to take the shoulder of the last of the herd, who had 
already charged headlong after his comrades, and was 
disappearing in the jungle. Bang ! went the “ Baby 
round I spun like a weathercock, with the blood pour¬ 
ing from my nose, as the recoil had driven the sharp 
top of the hammer deep into the bridge. My “ Baby ” 
not only screamed, but kicked viciously. However, 
I knew that the elephant must be bagged, as the 
half-pound shell had been aimed directly behind the 
shoulder. 

In a few minutes the aggageers arrived; they were 
bleeding from countless scratches, as, although naked, 
with the exception of short drawers, they had forced 


330 


ABOU DO SLASHES THE SINEW. [chap. xm. 


tlieir way on horseback through the thorny path deft 
by the herd in rushing through the jungle. Abou Do 
had blood upon his sword. They had found the ele¬ 
phants commencing a retreat to the interior of the 
country, and they had arrived just in time to turn 
them. Following them at full speed, Abou Do had 
succeeded in overtaking and slashing the sinew of an 
elephant just as it was entering the jungle. Thus the 
aggageers had secured one, in addition to Florian’s 
elephant that had been slashed by Jali. We now 
hunted for the “Baby’s” elephant, which was almost 
immediately discovered lying dead within a hundred 
and fifty yards of the place where it had received 
the shot. The shell had entered close to the shoulder, 
and it was extraordinary that an animal should have 
been able to travel so great a distance with a wound 
through the lungs by a shell that had exploded within 
the body. 

We had done pretty well. I had been fortunate 
in bagging four from this herd, in addition to the 
single bull in the morning; total, five. Florian had 
killed one, and the aggageers one; total, seven ele¬ 
phants. One had escaped that I had wounded 
in the shoulder, and two that had been wounded 
by Florian. 

The aggageers were delighted, and they deter¬ 
mined to search for the wounded elephants on the 
following day, as the evening was advancing, and 
we were about five miles from camp. Having my 
measuring-tape in a game-bag that was always car- 


chap, xiii.] TEE BOAR WOUNDS RTCHARN. 33 ] 

riecl by Abdoolahi, I measured accurately one of tlie 
elephants that had fallen with the legs stretched out, 
so that the height to the shoulder could be exactly 
taken:—From foot to shoulder in a direct line, nine 
feet one inch; circumference of foot, four feet eight 
inches. The elephant lying by her side was still 
larger, but the legs being doubled up, I could not 
measure her; these were females. 

We now left the jungle, and found our horses 
waiting for us in the bed of the river by the 
waterside, and we rode towards our camp well 
satisfied with the day’s work. Upon entering an 
open plain of low withered grass we perceived a 
boar, who upon our approach showed no signs of 
fear, but insolently erected his tail and scrutinised 
our party. Florian dismounted and fired a shot, 
which passed through his flank, and sent the boar 
flying off at full speed. Abou Do and I gave 
chase on horseback, and after a run of a few 
hundred yards we overtook the boar, which turned 
resolutely to bay. 

In a short time the whole party arrived, and, as 
Florian had wounded the animal, his servant Kicharn 
considered that he should give the coup de grace ; 
but upon his advancing with his drawn knife, the 
boar charged desperately, and inflicted a serious 
wound across the palm of his hand, which was 
completely divided to the bone by a gash with the 
sharp tusk. Abou Do immediately rode to the 
rescue, and with a blow of his sword divided the 


332 


Oil) MOOSA THE SORCERER. 


[chai\ XIII. 


spine behind the shoulder, and nearly cut the boar 
in half. By this accident Richarn was disabled for 
some days. 

Upon our arrival at the camp, there were great 
rejoicings among our people at the result of the 
days sport. Old Moosa, the half fortune-teller, 
half priest, of the Tokrooris, had in our absence 
employed himself in foretelling the number of 
elephants we should kill. His method of conjuring 
was rather perplexing, and, although a mystery 
beyond my understanding, it might be simple to an 
English spiritualist or spirit-rapper; he had never¬ 
theless satisfied both himself and others, therefore 
the party had been anxiously waiting our return to 
hear the result. Of course, old Moosa was wrong, 
and of course he had a loophole for escape, and 
thereby preserved his reputation. The aggageers 
expected to find our wounded elephants on the 
following morning, if dead, by the flights of vultures. 
That night the lions again serenaded us with con¬ 
stant roaring, as they had still some bones to gnaw 
of the buffalo’s remains. 

At daybreak the next morning, the aggageers in 
high glee mounted their horses, and with a long 
retinue of camels, and men provided with axes and 
knives, together with large gum sacks to contain 
the flesh, they quitted the camp to cut up the 
numerous elephants. As I had no taste for this 
disgusting work, I took two of my Tokrooris, Hadji 
Ali and Hassan, and, accompanied by old Abou Do > 


chap, xiii.] NEPTUNE AND HIS TRIDENT. 3,33 

the father of the sheik, with his harpoon, we started 
along the margin of the river in quest of hippopotami. 

The harpoon for hippopotamus and crocodile 
hunting, is a piece of soft steel about eleven inches 
long, with a narrow blade or point of about three- 
quarters of an inch in width, and a single but 
powerful barb. To this short and apparently insig¬ 
nificant weapon a strong rope is secured, about 
twenty feet in length, at the extremity of which is 
a buoy or float, as large as a child’s head, formed of 
an extremely light wood called ambatch (.Anemone 
mirabilis ), that is about half the specific gravity of 
cork. The extreme end of the short harpoon is fixed 
in the point of a bamboo about ten feet long, 
around which the rope is twisted, while the buoy 
end is carried in the left hand. 

The old Abou Do being resolved upon work, had 
divested himself of his tope or toga before starting, 
according to the general custom of the aggageers, 
who usually wear a simple piece of leather wound 
round the loins when hunting, but, I believe in 
respect for our party, they had provided themselves 
with a garment resembling bathing drawers, such 
as are worn in France, Germany, and other civilized 
countries; but the old Abou Do, like the English, 
had resisted any such innovation, and he accordingly 
appeared with nothing on but his harpoon ; and a 
more superb old Neptune I never beheld. He carried 
this weapon in his hand, as the trident with which 
the old sea-god ruled the monsters of the deep; and 


334 THE BEAUTY OF THE SETTITE. [chap. xiii. 

as the tall Arab patriarch of threescore years and 
ten, with his long grey locks flowing over his brawny 
shoulders, stepped as lightly as a goat from rock 
to rock along the rough margin of the river, I 
followed him in admiration. 

The country was very beautiful; we were within 
twenty miles of lofty mountains, while at a distance 
of about thirty-five or forty miles were the high 
peaks of the Abyssinian Alps. The entire land was 
richly wooded, although open, and adapted for hunt¬ 
ing upon horseback. Through this wild and lovely 
country the river Settite flowed in an ever-changing 
course. At times the bed was several hundred 
yards wide, with the stream, contracted at this season, 
flowing gently over rounded pebbles; the water was 
at clear as glass; in other places huge masses of 
rock impeded the flow of water, and caused dangerous 
rapids; then, as the river passed through a range of 
hills, perpendicular cliffs of sandstone and of basalt 
walled it within a narrow channel, through which 
it rushed with great impetuosity ; issuing from these 
straits it calmed its fury in a deep and broad pool, 
from which it again commenced a gentle course over 
sands and pebbles. At that season the river would 
have been perfection for salmon, being a series of 
rapids, shallows, deep and rocky gorges, and quiet 
silent pools of unknown depth; in the latter places of 
security the hippopotami retreated after their noc¬ 
turnal rambles upon terra firma. The banks of this 
beautiful river were generally thickly clothed with 


CHAP. XIII ] 


BORDERS OF THE RIFER. 


335 


bright green nabbuk trees, that formed a shelter for 
innumerable guinea-fowl, and the black francolin 
partridge. Herds of antelopes of many varieties 
were forced to the river to drink, as the only 
water within many miles; but these never remained 
long among the thick nabbuk, as the lions and 
leopards inhabited that covert expressly to spring 
upon the unwary animal whose thirst prompted a 
too heedless advance. Wherever there was a sand¬ 
bank in the river, a crocodile basked in the morning 
sunshine; some of these were of enormous size. 

Hippopotami had trodden a path along the margin 
of the river, as these animals came out to feed shortly 
after dark, and travelled from pool to pool. Where- 
ever a plot of tangled and succulent herbage grew 
among the shady nabbuks, there were the marks of 
the harrow-like teeth, that had torn and rooted up 
the rank grass like an agricultural implement. 

After walking about two miles, we noticed a herd 
of hippopotami, in a pool below a rapid : this was 
surrounded by rocks, except upon one side, where 
the rush of water had thrown up a bank of pebbles 
and sand. Our old Neptune did not condescend 
to bestow the slightest attention when I pointed 
out these animals ; they were too wide awake ; but 
he immediately quitted the rivers bed, and we 
followed him quietly behind the fringe of bushes 
upon the border, from which we carefully examined 
the water. About half a mile below this spot, as 
we clambered over the intervening rocks through 


336 


THE HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNTER. [chap. xiii. 


a gorge which formed a powerful rapid, I observed, 
in a small pool just below the rapid, an immense 
head of a hippopotamus close to a perpendicular 
rock that formed a wall to the river, about six feet 
above the surface. I pointed out the hippo to old 
Abou Do, who had not seen it. At once the gravity 
of the old Arab disappeared, and the energy of the 
hunter was exhibited as he motioned us to remain, 
while he ran nimbly behind the thick screen of bushes 
for about a hundred and fifty yards below the spot 
where the hippo was unconsciously basking, with his 
ugly head above the surface. Plunging into the rapid 
torrent, the veteran hunter was carried some distance 
down the stream, but breasting the powerful current, 
he landed upon the rocks on the opposite side, and 
retiring to some distance from the river, he quickly 
advanced towards the spot beneath which the hippo¬ 
potamus was lying. I had a fine view of the scene, 
as I was lying concealed exactly opposite the hippo, 
who had disappeared beneath the water. Abou Do 
now stealthily approached the ledge of rock beneath 
which he had expected to see the head of the 
animal; his long sinewy arm was raised, with the 
harpoon ready to strike, as he carefully advanced. 
At length he reached the edge of the perpendicular 
rock; the hippo had vanished, but far from ex¬ 
hibiting surprise, the old Arab remained standing 
on the sharp ledge, unchanged in attitude. No 
figure of bronze could have been more rigid than 
that of the old river-king, as he stood erect jipon 


chap, xiil] THE HIPPO IS HARPOONED. 33 7 

the rock witli the left foot advanced, and the harpoon 
poised in his ready right hand above his head, while 
in the left he held the loose coils of rope attached 
to the ambatch buoy. For about three minutes he 
stood like a statue, gazing intently into the clear 
and deep water beneath his feet. I watched eagerly 
for the reappearance of the hippo ; the surface of 
the water was still barren, when suddenly the right 
arm of the statue descended like lightning, and the 
harpoon shot perpendicularly into the pool with 
the speed of an arrow. What river-fiend answered 
to the summons ? In an instant an enormous pair 
of open jaws appeared, followed by the ungainly 
head and form of the furious hippopotamus, who, 
springing half out of the water, lashed the river into 
foam, and, disdaining the concealment of the deep 
pool, he charged straight up the violent rapids. 
With extraordinary power he breasted the de¬ 
scending stream; gaining a footing in the rapids, 
about five feet deep, he ploughed his way against 
the broken waves, sending them in showers of 
spray upon all sides, and upon gaining broader 
shallows he tore along through the water, with 
the buoyant float hopping behind him along the 
surface, until he landed from the river, started at 
full gallop along the dry shingly bed, and at length 
disappeared in the thorny nabbuk jungle. 

I never could have imagined that so unwieldy 
an animal could have exhibited such speed : no man 
would have had a chance of escape, and it vkxs 


z 


338 A CHEER FOR OLE NEPTUNE. [chap. xiii. 

fortunate for our old Neptune that he was secure 
upon the high ledge of rock, for if he had been in 
the path of the infuriated beast, there would have 
been an end of Abou Do. The old man plunged 
into the deep pool just quitted by the hippo, and 
landed upon our side; while in the enthusiasm of the 
moment I waved my cap above my head, and gave 
him a British cheer as he reached the shore. His 
usually stern features relaxed into a grim smile of 
delight: this was one of those moments when the 
gratified pride of the hunter rewards him for any risks. 
I congratulated him upon his dexterity; but much 
remained to be done. I proposed to cross the river, 
and to follow upon the tracks of the hippo¬ 
potamus, as I imagined that the buoy and rope 
would catch in the thick jungle, and that we should 
find him entangled in the bush; but the old hunter 
gently laid his hand upon my arm, and pointed up 
the bed of the river, explaining that the hippo 
would certainly return to the water after a short 
interval. 

In a few minutes later, at a distance of nearly 
half a mile, we observed the hippo emerge from 
the jungle, and descend at full trot to the bed of 
the river, making direct for the first rocky pool 
in which we had noticed the herd of hippopotami. 
Accompanied by the old howarti (hippo hunter), 
we walked quickly towards the spot: he explained 
to me that I must shoot the harpooned hippo, as 
we should not be able to secure him in the usual 


chap, xiii.] DEATH OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 


339 


method by ropes, as nearly all our men were absent 
from camp, disposing of the dead elephants. 

Upon reaching the pool, which was about a hun¬ 
dred and thirty yards in diameter, we were imme¬ 
diately greeted by the hippo, who snorted and roared 
as we approached, but quickly dived, and the buoy¬ 
ant float ran along the surface, directing his course 
in the same manner as the cork of a trimmer with 
a pike upon the hook. Several times he appeared, 
but, as he invariably faced us, I could not obtain 
a favourable shot; I therefore sent the old hunter 
round the pool, and he, swimming the river, ad¬ 
vanced to the opposite side, and attracted the atten¬ 
tion of the hippo, who immediately turned towards 
him. This afforded me a good chance, and I fired 
a steady shot behind the ear, at about seventy 
yards, with a single-barrelled rifle. As usual with 
hippopotami, whether dead or alive, he disappeared 
beneath the water at the shot. The crack of the 
ball and the absence of any splash from the bullet 
told me that he was hit; the ambatch float 
remained perfectly stationary upon the surface. I 
watched it for some minutes—it never moved; seve¬ 
ral heads of hippopotami appeared and vanished in 
different directions, but the float was still; it marked 
the spot where the grand old bull lay dead 
beneath. 

I shot another hippo, that I thought must be 
likewise dead; and, taking the time by my watch, 
I retired to the shade of a tree with Hassan, while 


340 CHARACTER OF HIPPOPOTAMI. [chap. xui. 

Hadji Ali and the old hunter returned to camp for 
assistance in men and knives, &c. 

In a little more than an hour and a half, two 
objects like the backs of turtles appeared above the 
surface : these were the flanks of the two hippos. 
A short time afterwards the men arrived, and, regard¬ 
less of crocodiles, they swam towards the bodies. One 
was towed directly to the shore by the rope attached 
to the harpoon, the other was secured by a long 
line, and dragged to the bank of clean pebbles. 

I measured the bull that was harpooned; it was four¬ 
teen feet two inches from the upper lip to the extremity 
of the tail; the head was three feet one inch from the 
front of the ear to the edge of the lip in a straight 
line. The harpoon was sticking in the nape of the 
neck, having penetrated about two and a half inches 
beneath the hide; this is about an inch and three- 
quarters thick upon the back of the neck of a bull 
hippopotamus. It was a magnificent specimen, with 
the largest tusks I have ever seen ; the skull is now 
in my hall in England. 

Although the hippopotamus is generally harmless, 
the solitary old bulls are sometimes extremely 
vicious, especially when in the water. I have fre¬ 
quently known them charge a boat, and I have 
myself narrowly escaped being upset in a canoe by 
the attack of one of these creatures, without the 
slightest provocation. The females are extremely shy 
and harmless, and they are most affectionate mothers : 
the only instances that I have known of the female 


CHAP. XIII.] 


HABITS OF THE ANIMAL. 


341 


attacking a man, have been those in which her calf 
had been stolen. To the Arabs they are extremely 
valuable, yielding, in addition to a large quantity of 
excellent flesh, about two hundred pounds of fat, 
rnd a hide that will produce about two hundred 
coorbatches, or camel whips. I have never shot these 
useful creatures to waste ; every morsel of the flesh 
has been stored either by the natives or for our own 
use; and whenever we have had a good supply of 
antelope or giraffe meat, I have avoided firing a shot 
at the hippo. Elephant flesh is exceedingly strong 
and disagreeable, partaking highly of the peculiar 
smell of the animal. We had now a good supply 
of meat from the two hippopotami, which delighted 
our people. The old Abou Do claimed the bull 
that he had harpooned, as his own private property, 
and he took the greatest pains in dividing the hide 
longitudinally, in strips of the width of three fingers, 
which he cut with great dexterity. 

A] though the hippopotamus is amphibious, he 
requires a large and constant supply of air; the 
lungs are of enormous size, and he invariably in¬ 
flates them before diving. From five to eight 
minutes is the time that he usually remains under 
water; he then comes to the surface, and expends 
the air within his lungs by blowing; he again re¬ 
fills the lungs almost instantaneously, and if fright¬ 
ened, he sinks immediately. In places where they 
have become extremely shy from being hunted, or 
fired at, they seldom expose the head above the 


342 ACTIVITY OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. [chap, xiii, 

surface, but merely protrude the nose to breathe 
through the nostrils; it is then impossible to shoot 
them. Their food consists of aquatic plants, and 
grasses of many descriptions. Not only do they 
visit the margin of the river, but they wander at 
night to great distances from the water if attracted 
by good pasturage, and, although clumsy and un¬ 
gainly in appearance, they clamber up steep banks 
and precipitous ravines with astonishing power and 
ease. In places where they are perfectly undis¬ 
turbed, they not only enjoy themselves in the sun¬ 
shine by basking half asleep upon the surface of 
the water, but they lie upon the shore beneath the 
shady trees, upon the river’s bank : I have seen 
them, when disturbed by our sudden arrival during 
the march, take a leap from a bank about twenty 
feet perpendicular depth into the water below, with 
a splash that has created waves in the quiet pool, 
as though a paddle-steamer had passed by. The 
Arabs attached no value to the tusks; these are far 
more valuable than elephant ivory, and are used 
by dentists in Europe for the manufacture of false 
teeth, for which they are admirably adapted, as 
they do not change colour. Not wishing to destroy 
the remaining hippopotami that were still within 
the pool, I left my men and old Abou Do busily 
engaged in arranging the meat, and I walked quietly 
homeward. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


A FOREBODING OF EVIL. 

I had been for some hours in the camp, but none 
of the aggageers had returned, neither had we re¬ 
ceived any tidings of our people and camels that 
had left us at daybreak to search for the dead 
elephants. Fearing that some mishap might have 
occurred in a collision with the Base, I anxiously 
looked out for some sign of the party. At about 
4 p.m. I observed far up the bed of the river 
several men, some mounted, and others upon foot, 
while one led a camel with a curious-looking load. 
Upon a nearer approach I could distinguish some 
large object upon the camel's back, that was steadied 
by two men, one of whom walked on either side. 
I had a foreboding that something was wrong, and 
in a few minutes I clearly perceived a man lying 
upon a make-shift litter, carried by the camel, while 
the Sheik Abou Do and Suleiman accompanied the 
party upon horseback; a third led Jali's little grey 


mare. 


344 JALVS THIGH IS BROKEN. [chap. xiv. 

They soon arrived beneath the high bank of the 
river upon which I stood. Poor little Jali, my 
plucky and active ally, lay, as I thought, dead 
upon the litter. We laid him gently upon my an- 
garep, which I had raised by four men, so that we 
could lower him gradually from the kneeling camel, 
and we carried him to the camp, about thirty yards 
distant. He was faint, and I poured some essence 
of peppermint (the only spirit I possessed) down 
his throat, which quickly revived him. His thigh 
was broken about eight inches above the knee, but 
fortunately it was a simple fracture. 

Abou Do now explained the cause of the accident. 
While the party of camel-men and others were en¬ 
gaged in cutting up the dead elephants, the three 
aggageers had found the track of a bull that had 
escaped wounded. In that country, where there w T as 
no drop of water upon the east bank of the Settite 
for a distance of sixty or seventy miles to the 
river Gash, an elephant if wounded was afraid to 
trust itself to the interior; one of our escaped ele¬ 
phants had therefore returned to the thick jungle, 
and was tracked by the aggageers to a position 
within two or three hundred yards of the dead 
elephants. As there were no guns, two of the agga¬ 
geers, utterly reckless of consequences, resolved to 
ride through the narrow passages formed by the 
large game, and to take their chance with the ele¬ 
phant, sword in hand. Jali, as usual, was the first 
to lead, and upon his little grey mare he advanced 


CHAP. XIV.] 


ABOU 1)0 SAFES JALI. 


345 


with the greatest difficulty through the entangled 
thorns, broken by the passage of heavy game; to 
the right and left of the passage it was impossible 
to move. Abou Do had wisely dismounted, but 
Suleiman followed Jali. Upon arriving within a 
few yards of the elephant, which was invisible in 
the thick thorns, Abou Do crept forward on foot, 
and discovered it standing with ears cocked, evidently 
waiting for the attack. As Jali followed on his light 
grey mare, the elephant immediately perceived the 
white colour, and at once charged forward. Escape 
was next to impossible: Jali turned his mare sharp 
round, and she bounded off, but caught in the thorns, 
the mare fell, throwing her rider in the path of the 
elephant that was within a few feet behind, in full 
chase. The mare recovered herself in an instant, and 
rushed away; the elephant, occupied by the white 
colour of the animal, neglected the man, upon whom 
he trod in the pursuit, thus breaking his thigh. Abou 
Do, who had been between the elephant and Jali, 
had wisely jumped into the thick thorns, and, as the 
elephant passed him, he again sprang out behind, 
and followed with his drawn sword, but too late 
to save Jali, as it was the affair of an instant. 
Jumping over Jali’s body, he was just in time to 
deliver a tremendous cut at the hind leg of the 
elephant, that must otherwise have killed both horses 
and most probably Suleiman also, as the three were 
caught in a cul de sac in a passage that had no 
nutlet, and were at the elephant's mercy. 


S46 


EXTRAORDINARY DEXTERITY. 


[chap. XIV. 


Abou Do seldom failed; it was a difficult feat to 
strike correctly in the narrow jungle passage with 
the elephant in full speed, but the blow was fairly 
given, and the back sinew was divided. Not con¬ 
tent with the success of the cut, he immediately 
repeated the stroke upon the other leg, as he feared 
that the elephant, although disabled from rapid mo¬ 
tion, might turn and trample Jali. The extraordi¬ 
nary dexterity and courage required to effect this 
can hardly be appreciated by those who have never 
hunted a wild elephant; but the extreme agility, 
pluck, and audacity of these Hamran sword-hunters 
surpass all feats that I have ever witnessed. 

I set Jali’s broken thigh, and employed myself in 
making splints: fortunately my tool-chest was at 
hand, and I selected some pieces of dry wood that 
had been left on the bank by the retiring river. I 
made two splints, one with a crutch to fit beneath 
the arm, this I carried to about three inches beyond 
the foot, and cut a Y-shaped notch to secure the 
bandage; the other was a common short splint about 
eighteen inches long. My wife quickly made about 
sixty yards of bandages, while Barrake, the maid, 
prepared thick gum water, from gum arabic, that the 
mimosas produced in unlimited quantity. Fixing 
the long splint under the arm, and keeping it upon 
the outside of the thigh, with the leg perfectly 
straight, I lashed the foot and ankle securely to the 
Y-shaped notch : I then strapped the upper portion 
of the splint with bandages passed around the 


CHAP. XIV.] 


JUNGLE SURGERY. 


34 7 


patient’s chest, until he was swathed from beneath 
the arms to the hips, thus securing the splint to his 
body. The thigh, and entire leg from the fork to 
the ankle, I carefully secured to the long splint with 
three rows of bandages, the first plain, and the last 
two layers were soaked in thick gum-water. When 
these became dry and hard, they formed a case like 
an armour of pasteboard; previous to bandaging the 
limb in splints, I had bathed it for some hours with 
cold applications. 

On the following morning I expected to find my 
patient in great pain; but, on the contrary, he com¬ 
plained very little. His pulse was good, and there 
was very little swelling or heat, I gave him some 
cooling medicine; and the only anxiety that he ex¬ 
pressed was the wish to get well immediately, so as 
to continue the expedition. 

The Arabs thought that I could mend the leg of 
a man as though it were the broken stock of a gun, 
that would be serviceable immediately when repaired. 
As these people never use spirituous liquors, they 
are very little subject to inflammation, and they 
recover quickly from wounds that would be serious 
to Europeans. I attended to Jali for four days. He 
was a very grateful, but unruly patient, as he had 
never been accustomed to remain quiet. At the 
end of that time we arranged an angarep com¬ 
fortably upon a camel, upon which he was trans¬ 
ported to Gleera, in company with a long string of 
camels, heavily laden with dried meat and squares 
of hide for shields, with large bundles of hippopo- 


348 


WE LOSE OUR BEST MAN 


[chap. xiv. 


tamus skin for whip making, together with the 
various spoils of the chase. Last, hut not least, 
were numerous leathern pots of fat that had been 
boiled down from elephants and hippopotami. 

The camels were to return as soon as possible 
with supplies of corn for our people and horses. 
Another elephant-hunter was to be sent to us in 
the place of Jali; but I felt that we had lost our 
best man.* 

Although my people had been in the highest 
spirits up to this time, a gloom had been thrown 
over the party by two causes—Jali’s accident, and 
the fresh footmarks of the Base that had been dis¬ 
covered upon the sand by the margin of the river. 
The aggageers feared nothing, and if the Base had 
been legions of demons they would have faced them, 
sword in hand, with the greatest pleasure. But my 
Tokrooris, who were brave in some respects, had been 
so cowed by the horrible stories recounted of these 
common enemies at the nightly camp-fires by the 
Hamran Arabs, that they were seized with a panic, 
and resolved to desert en masse , and return to 
Katariff, where I had originally engaged them, and 
at which place they had left their families. 

This desertion having been planned, they came 
to me in a body, # just as the camels and Jali were 
about to depart, and commenced a series of absurd 
excuses for their intended desertion. The old grey¬ 
headed Moosa, by whose fortune-telling and sorcery 

* I heard from Jali six weeks later; he was then well, and offered 
to rejoin us shortly, hut I declined to risk the strength of his leg. 


CHAP. XIV.] MY TOKROORIS DETERMINE TO DESERT. 349 

the party were invariably guided, had foretold evil. 
This had confirmed them in their determination to 
return home. They were not a bad set of fellows, 
but, like most of their class, they required peculiar 
management. If natives are driven, they invariably 
hate their master, and turn sulky ; if you give in 
to them, they lose respect, and will never obey. 
They are exceedingly subject to sudden impulses, 
under the influence of which they are utterly 
unreasonable. As the expedition depends for success 
entirely upon the union of the party, it is highly 
necessary to obtain so complete a control over every 
individual, that the leader shall be regarded with 
positive reverence, and his authority in all matters 
accepted as supreme. To gain such a complete 
ascendancy is a work of time, and is no easy matter, 
as an extreme amount of tact and judgment is neces¬ 
sary, combined with great kindness and common 
sense, with, at times, great severity. The latter 
should be avoided as long as possible. 

In this instance, the desertion of my Tokrooris 
would have been a great blow to my expedition, as 
it was necessary to have a division of parties. I 
had now Tokrooris, Jaleens, and Hamran Arabs. 
Thus they would never unite together, and I was 
certain to have some upon my side in a difficulty. 
Should I lose the Tokrooris, the Hamran Arabs 
would have the entire preponderance. 

The whole of my Tokrooris formed in line before 
me and my wife, just as the camels were about to 


350 A LITTLE DIPLOMACY IS REQUIRED, [chap. xiv. 

leave; each man had his little bundle prepared for 
starting on a journey. Old Moosa was the spokes¬ 
man,—he said that they were all very sorry; that 
they regretted exceedingly the necessity of leaving 
us, but some of them were sick, and they would 
only be a burden to the expedition; that one 
of them was bound upon a pilgrimage to Mecca, 
and that God would punish him should he neglect 
this great duty; others had not left any money 
with their families in Katariff, that would starve 
in their absence. (I had given them an advance 
of wages, when they engaged at Katariff, to pro¬ 
vide against this difficulty.) I replied : “ My 
good fellows, I am very sorry to hear all this, 
especially as it comes upon me so suddenly ; those 
who are sick, stand upon one side ” (several in¬ 
valids, who looked remarkably healthy, stepped to 
the left). “ Who wishes to go to Mecca ?” Abder- 
achman stepped forward (a huge specimen of a 
Tokroori, who went by the nickname of “ El Jamoos,” 
or the buffalo.) “ Who wishes to remit money to 
his family, as I will send it and deduct it from 
his wages ?” No one came forward. During the 
pause, I called for pen and paper, which Mahomet 
brought. I immediately commenced writing, and 
placed the note within an envelop, which I ad¬ 
dressed, and gave to one of the camel-drivers. I 
then called for my medicine-chest, and having 
weighed several three-grain doses of tartar emetic, 

I called the invalids, and insisted upon their taking 


CHAP. XIV.] 


THE SICK ARE DOSED. 


351 


tlie medicine before they started, or tliey might 
become seriously ill upon the road, which for three 
days march was uninhabited. Mixed with a little 
water, the doses were swallowed, and 1 knew that 
the invalids were safe for that day, and that the 
others would not start without them. 

I now again addressed my would-be deserters : 
“Now, my good fellows, there shall be no misunder¬ 
standing between us, and I will explain to you how 
the case stands. You engaged yourselves to me for 
the whole journey, and you received an advance of 
wages to provide for your families during your 
absence. You have lately filled yourselves with 
meat, and you have become lazy; you have been 
frightened by the footprints of the Base ; thus you 
wish to leave the country. To save yourselves from 
imaginary danger, you would forsake my wife and 
myself, and leave us to a fate which you your¬ 
selves would avoid. This is your gratitude for 
kindness; this is the return for my confidence, when 
without hesitation I advanced you money. Go ! 
Return to Katariff to your families! I know that 
all the excuses you have made are false. Those who 
declare themselves to be sick, Insliallah (please 
God) shall be sick. You will all be welcomed 
upon your arrival at Katariff. In the letter I have 
written to the Governor, inclosing your names, I have 
recpiested him to give each man upon his appear¬ 
ance five hundred lashes with the coorbatch , for 
desertion; and to imprison him until my return.” 


3 j 2 EMBRACE HIM! CRIED OLD MOOSA. [ chap . xit . 

Check-mate ! My poor Tokrooris were in a corner, 
and in their great dilemma they could not answer 
a word. Taking advantage of this moment of con¬ 
fusion, I called forward “the buffalo” Abderachman, 
as I had heard that he really had contemplated a 
pilgrimage to Mecca. “ Abderachman,” I continued, 
“you are the only man who has spoken the truth. 
Go to Mecca ! and may God protect you on the 
journey; I should not wish to prevent you from 
performing your duty as a Mahometan.” 

Never were people more dumbfounded with sur¬ 
prise ; they retreated, and formed a knot in con¬ 
sultation, and in about ten minutes they returned 
to me, old Moosa and Hadji Ali both leading the 
pilgrim Abderachman by the hands. They had given 
in; and Abderachman, the buffalo of the party, 
thanked me for my permission, and with tears in 
his eyes, as the camels were about to start, he at 
once said good-bye. “ Embrace him! ” cried old 
Moosa and Hadji Ali ; and in an instant, as I had 
formerly succumbed to the maid Barrake, I was 
actually kissed by the thick lips of Abderachman 
the unwashed ! Poor fellow ! this w T as sincere 
gratitude without the slightest humbug; therefore, 
although he was an odoriferous savage, I could not 
help shaking him by the hand and wishing him a 
prosperous journey, assuring him that I would watch 
over his comrades like a father, while in my service. 
In a few instants these curious people were led by 
a sudden and new impulse; my farewell had per- 


chap. XIV.] WE BECOME STAUNCH FRIENDS. 353 

fectly delighted old Moosa and Hadji Ali, whose 
hearts were won. “ Say good-bye to the Sit!” (the 
lady) they shouted to Abderachman ; but I assured 
them that it was not necessary to go through the 
whole operation to which I had been subjected, and 
that she would be contented if he only kissed her 
hand. This he did with the natural grace of a 

O 

savage, and was led away crying by his com¬ 

panions, who embraced him with tears, and they 
parted with the affection of brothers. 

Now to hard-hearted and civilized people, who 
often school themselves to feel nothing, or as little 
as they can, for anybody, it may appear absurd to 
say that the scene was affecting, but somehow or 
other it was; and in the course of half-an-hour, 
those who would have deserted had become staunch 
friends, and we were all, black and white, Maho¬ 
metans and Christians, wishing the pilgrim God 

speed upon his perilous journey to Mecca. 

The camels started, and, if the scene was affecting, 
the invalids began to be more affected by the tartar 

emetic : this was the third act of the comedy. The 

plot had been thoroughly ventilated: the last act 
exhibited the perfect fidelity of my Tokrooris, in 
whom I subsequently reposed much confidence. 

In the afternoon of that day, the brothers Sheriff 
arrived; these were the most renowned of all the 
sword-hunters of the Hamrans, of whom I have 
already spoken ; they were well mounted, and, having 
met our caravan of camels on the route, heavily 


A A 


354 


ABOU DO'S WEAKNESSES . 


[chap. XIV. 


laden with dried flesh, and thus seen proofs of our 
success, they now offered to join our party. I am 
sorry to he obliged to confess, that my ally, Abou 
Do, although a perfect Nimrod in sport, an Apollo 
in personal appearance, and a gentleman in manner, 
was a mean, covetous, and grasping fellow, and 
withal absurdly jealous. Talier Sheriff was a more 
celebrated hunter, having had the experience of at 
least twenty years in excess of Abou Do, and 
although the latter was as brave and dexterous 
as Taher and his brothers, he wanted the cool 
judgment that is essential to a first-rate sportsman. 
He was himself aware of his inferiority to Taher 
Sheriff, though too proud to admit it; but, to avoid 
competition, he declined to allow the Sheriffs to 
join our party, declaring that, if I insisted upon the 
fresh alliance, he and his comrade Suleiman would 
return home. Notwithstanding his objections, I 
arranged for the present that, as Jali was hors cle 
combat , Taher Sheriffs party should join us until 
the arrival of a fresh hunter in his place, other- 
wise our party would be incomplete. To prevent 
complications, the greedy Abou Do selected his share 
of the ivory, carefully choosing the best and most 
perfect tusks, and he presented Taher s party with 
a small quantity of meat that would render them 
independent of his hospitality. I at once ordered 
my people to give them a large supply of both meat 
and corn from my own store, and they encamped in 
a quarter of our circle. 


CHAP. XIV.] 


THE BAOBAB. 


355 


The following clay was the new year, January 1st, 
1862 ; and, with the four brothers Sheriff and our 
party, we formed a powerful body of hunters: six 
aggageers and myself, all well mounted. With four 
gunbearers, and two camels, both of which carried 
water, we started in search of elephants. Florian 
was unwell, and remained in camp. 

In this dry climate it was only necessary to ride 
along the margin of the river to look for fresh tracks, 
as the animals were compelled to visit the Settite to 
drink, and of course there was no difficulty in dis¬ 
covering their traces. It appeared, however, that the 
elephants had been frightened away from the neigh¬ 
bourhood by the recent attack, as we rode for about 
ten miles without seeing any fresh marks. We 
therefore struck inland, on the east bank of the river, 
intending to return home by a circuit. The country 
was exactly like an English park, with no larger 
timber than thorn trees. Every now and then there 
was an exception in a gigantic homera (Adansonia 
digitata), or baobab ; these, towering over the heads 
of the low mimosas, could be seen from a great dis¬ 
tance. Having steered direct for one, we halted, and 
dismounted to rest the horses beneath the shade. 
This tree was about forty feet in circumference, and 
the spongy trunk was formed into a ladder by pegs 
of hard wood driven into its side by the Base hunters, 
who had thus ascended the slippery stem in search of 
honey. Bees are very fond of these trees, as they arc 
generally more or less hollow, and well adapted for 
A A 2 


356 THE CROP OF GUM ARABIC. [chap. xiv. 

hives. The Adansonia digitata, although a tree, 
always reminds me of a gigantic fungus ; the stem 
is disproportioned in its immense thickness to its 
height, and its branches are few in number, and as 
massive in character as the stem. The wood is not 
much firmer in substance than cork, and is as suc¬ 
culent as a carrot. In Kordofan, where water is 
exceedingly scarce, the Adansonia is frequently used 
as a reservoir; one of these huge hollow trees is 
cleaned out and filled with water during the short 
rainy season. The fruit was ripe at the time we 
halted, and after many attempts, by throwing sticks, 
we succeeded in procuring a considerable number. 
The sub-acid flavour of the seeds, enveloped in a dry 
yellow powder within the large shell, was exceed¬ 
ingly refreshing. 

The immediate neighbourhood was a perfect exhibi¬ 
tion of gum arabic bearing mimosas. At this season 
the gum was in perfection, and the finest quality was 
now before us in beautiful amber-coloured masses 
upon the stems and branches, varying from the size 
of a nutmeg to that of an orange. So great was the 
quantity, and so excellent were the specimens, that, 
leaving our horses tied to trees, both the Arabs and 
myself gathered a large collection. This gum, although 
as hard as ice on the exterior, was limpid in the 
centre, resembling melted amber, and as clear as 
though refined by some artificial process. The trees 
were perfectly denuded of leaves from the extreme 
drought, and the beautiful balls of frosted yellow 


cnAP. xiy.] 


THE RHINOCEROS. 


357 


gum recalled the idea of the precious jewels upon 
the trees in the garden of the wonderful lamp of the 
“Arabian Nights.” This gum was exceedingly sweet 
and pleasant to the taste ; but, although of the most 
valuable quality, there was no hand to gather it 
in this forsaken, although beautiful country; it 
either dissolved during the rainy season, or was 
consumed by the baboons and antelopes. The agga- 
geers took off from their saddles the skins of tanned 
antelope leather, that formed the only covering to 
the wooden seats, and with these they made bundles 
of gum. When we remounted, every man was well 
laden. 

We were thus leisurely returning home through 
alternate plains and low open forest of mimosa, when 
Taller Sheriff, who was leading the party, suddenly 
reined up his horse, and pointed to a thick bush, 
beneath which was a large grey, but shapeless, mass. 
He whispered, as I drew near, “ Oom gurrin” (mother 
of the horn), their name for the rhinoceros. I im¬ 
mediately dismounted, and with the short No. 10 
Tatham rifle I advanced as near as I could, followed 
by Suleiman, as I had sent all my gun-bearers direct 
home by the river when we had commenced our 
circuit. As I drew near, 1 discovered two rhinoceros 
asleep beneath a thick mass of bushes; they were 
lying like pigs, close together, so that at a distance 
I had been unable to distinguish any exact form. It 
was an awkward place; if I were to take the wind 
fairly, I should have to fire through the thick bush, 


358 


NOW FOR A “ TALLY IIO! 


[chap XIV. 


which would be useless; therefore I was compelled 
to advance with the wind direct from me to them. 
The aggageers remained about a hundred yards dis¬ 
tant, while I told Suleiman to return, and hold my 
horse in readiness with his own. I then walked 
quietly to within about thirty yards of the rhinoceros, 
but so curiously were they lying that it was useless 
to attempt a shot. In their happy dreams they must 
have been suddenly disturbed by the scent of an 
enemy, for, without the least warning, they suddenly 
sprang to their feet with astonishing quickness, and 
with a loud and sharp whiff, whiff, whiff*! one of 
them charged straight at me. I fired my right-hand 
barrel in his throat, as it was useless to aim at the 
head protected by two horns at the nose. This turned 
him, but had no other effect, and the two animals 
thundered off together at a tremendous pace. 

Now for a “ tally ho ! ” Our stock of gum was 
scattered on the ground, and away went the aggageers 
in full speed after the two rhinoceros. Without 
waiting to reload, I quickly remounted my horse 
Tetel, and, with Sulieman in company, I spurred hard 
to overtake the flying Arabs. Tetel was a good 
strong cob, but not very fast; however, I believe he 
never went so well as upon that day, for, although 
an Abyssinian horse, I had a pair of English spurs, 
which worked like missionaries, but with a more 
decided result. The ground was awkward for riding 
at full speed, as it was an open forest of mimosas, 
which, although wide apart, were very difficult to 


CIIAP. XIV.] 


THE HUNT. 


359 


avoid, owing to the low crowns of spreading branches ; 
these, being armed with fish-hook thorns, would have 
been serious on a collision. I kept the party in view, 
until in about a mile we arrived upon open ground. 
Here I again applied the spurs, and by degrees I 
crept up, always gaining, until I at length joined the 
aggageers. 

Here was a sight to drive a hunter wild! The two 
rhinoceros were running neck and neck, like a pair of 
horses in harness, but bounding along at tremendous 
speed within ten yards of the leading Hamran. This 
was Taher Sheriff, who, with his sword drawn, and his 
long hair flying wildly behind him, urged his horse 
forward in the race, amidst a cloud of dust raised by 
the two huge but active beasts, that tried every sinew 
of the horses. Eodur Sheriff, with the withered arm, 
was second; with the reins hung upon the hawk-like 
claw that was all that remained of a hand, but, 
with his naked sword grasped in his right, he kept 
close to his brother, ready to second his blow. 
Abou Do was third ; his hair flying in the wind—his 
heels dashing against the flanks of his horse, to 
which he shouted in his excitement to urge him to 
the front, while he leant forward with his long sword, 
in the wild energy of the moment, as though hoping 
to reach the game against all possibility. Now 
for the spurs! and as these, vigorously applied, 
screwed an extra stride out of Tetel, I soon found 
myself in the ruck of men, horses, and drawn 
swords. There were seven of us,—and passing Abou 


360 


CLOSE TO THEIR TAILS. 


[chap. XIV. 


Do, whose face wore an expression of agony at finding 
that his horse was failing, I quickly obtained a place 
between the two brothers, Tahcr and Rodur Sheriff. 
There had been a jealousy between the two parties of 
aggageers, and each was striving to outdo the other; 
thus Abou Do was driven almost to madness at the 
superiority of Talier’s horse, while the latter, who 
was the renowned hunter of the tribe, was determined 
that his sword should be the first to taste blood. 
I tried to pass the rhinoceros on my left, so as to 
fire close into the shoulder my remaining barrel 
with my right hand, but it was impossible to over¬ 
take the animals, who bounded along with undi¬ 
minished speed. With the greatest exertion of man 
and horses we could only retain our position within 
about three or four yards of their tails—just out of 
reach of the swords. The only chance in the race 
was to hold the pace until the rhinoceros should 
begin to flag. The horses were pressed to the utmost; 
but we had already run about two miles, and the 
game showed no signs of giving in. On they flew, 
—sometimes over open ground, then through low 
bush, which tried the horses severely; then through 
strips of open forest, until at length the party began to 
tail off, and only a select few kept their places. We 
arrived at the summit of a ridge, from which the 
ground sloped in a gentle inclination for about a mile 
towards the river; at the foot of this incline was 
thick thorny nabbuk jungle, for which impenetrable 
covert the rhinoceros pressed at their utmost speed. 






































































































THE RHINOCEROS HUNT. Seepage 361. 









































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































chap, xiv ] A HORSE! MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE. 361 

Neyer was there better ground for the finish of a 
race; the earth was sandy, but firm, and as we saw 
the winning post in the jungle that must terminate 
the hunt, we redoubled our exertions to close with 
the unflagging game. Suleiman's horse gave in—we 
had been for about twenty minutes at a killing pace. 
Tetel, although not a fast horse, was good for a dis¬ 
tance, and he now proved his power of endurance, as 
I was riding at least two stone heavier than any of 
the party. Only four of the seven remained ; and we 
swept down the incline, Taher Sheriff still leading, 
and Abou Do the last! His horse was done, but 
not the rider ; for, springing to the ground while at 
full speed, sword in hand, he forsook his tired horse, 
and, preferring his own legs, he ran like an antelope, 
and, for the first hundred yards I thought he would 
really pass us, and win the honour of first blow. It 
was of no use, the pace was too severe, and, although 
running wonderfully, he was obliged to give way to 
the horses. Only three now followed the rhinoceros— 
Taher Sheriff, his brother Rodur, and myself. I had 
been obliged to give the second place to Rodur, as he 
was a mere monkey in weight; but I was a close 
third. The excitement was intense—we neared the 
jungle, and the rhinoceros began to show signs of 
flagging, as the dust puffed up before their nostrils, 
and, with noses close to the ground, they snorted as 
they still galloped on. Oh for a fresh horse! “A 
horse ! a horse ! my kingdom for a horse! ” We 
were within two hundred yards of the jungle ; but 


362 


THE LAST MOMENT. 


[chap. XIV. 


the horses were all done. Tetel reeled as I urged 
him forward, Rodur pushed ahead; we were close to 
the dense thorns, and the rhinoceros broke into a 
trot; they were done ! “ Now, Taher, for-r-a-a-r-r-d ! 

for-r-r-a-a-r-d, Taher !!! ” Away he went—he was 
close to the very heels of the beasts ; but his horse 
could do no more than his present pace; still he gained 
upon the nearest; he leaned forward with his sword 
raised for the blow—another moment, and the jungle 
would be reached! One effort more, and the sword 
flashed in the sunshine, as the rearmost rhinoceros 
disappeared in the thick screen of thorns, with a gash 
about a foot long upon his hind-quarters. Taher Sheriff 
shook his bloody sword in triumph above his head ; 
but the rhinoceros was gone. We were fairly beaten, 
regularly outpaced; but I believe another two 
hundred yards would have given us the victory. 
** Bravo, Taher/’ I shouted. He had ridden splen¬ 
didly, and his blow had been marvellously delivered 
at an extremely long reach, as he was nearly out of 
his saddle when he sprang forward to enable the blade 
to attain a cut at the last moment, lie could not 
reach the hamstring, as his horse could not gain 
the proper position. 

We all immediately dismounted ; the horses were 
thoroughly done, and I at once loosened the girths 
and contemplated my steed Tetel, who, with head 
lowered, and legs wide apart, was a tolerable ex¬ 
ample of the effects of pace. The other aggageers 
shortly arrived, and as the rival Abou Do joined 


chap, xiv.] DIFFICULTY OF HUNTING. 36J 

us, Taller Sheriff quietly wiped the blood off his 
sword without making a remark; this was a bitter 
moment for the discomfited Abou Do. 

Although we had failed, I never enjoyed a hunt 
so much either before or since; it was a magnificent 
run, and still more magnificent was the idea that 
a man, with no weapon but the sword, could attack 
and generally vanquish every huge animal of crea¬ 
tion. I felt inclined to discard all my rifles, and to 
adopt the sabre, with a first-class horse instead of 
the common horses of this country, that were totally 
unfit for such a style of hunting, when carrying 
nearly fifteen stone. 

Taher Sheriff explained that at all times the rhi¬ 
noceros was the most difficult animal to sabre, on 
account of his extraordinary swiftness, and, although 
he had killed many with the sword, it was always 
after a long and fatiguing hunt; at the close of 
which, the animal becoming tired, generally turned 
to bay, in which case one hunter occupied his 
attention, while another galloped up behind, and 
severed the hamstring. The rhinoceros, unlike the 
elephant, can go very well upon three legs, which 
enhances the danger, as one cut will not utterly 
disable him. 

There is only one species of this animal in Abys¬ 
sinia ; this is the two-horned black rhinoceros, known 
in South Africa as the kcitloa. This animal is 
generally five feet six inches to five feet eight inches 
high at the shoulder, and, although so bulky and 


364 


POWER OF SCENT. 


[chap. XIV. 


heavily built, it is extremely active, as our long and 
fruitless hunt had exemplified. The skin is about 
half the thickness of that of the hippopotamus, but 
of extreme toughness and closeness of texture : when 
dried and polished it resembles horn. Unlike the 
Indian species of rhinoceros, the black variety of 
Africa is free from folds, and the hide fits smoothly 
on the body like that of the buffalo. This two¬ 
horned black species is exceedingly vicious; it is 
one of the very few animals that will generally 
assume the offensive; it considers all creatures to 
be enemies, and, although it is not acute in either 
sight or hearing, it possesses so wonderful a power 
of scent, that it will detect a stranger at a distance 
of five or six hundred yards should the wind be 
favourable. 

I have observed that a rhinoceros will generally 
charge down upon the object that it smells, but 
does not see; thus, when the animal is concealed 
either in high grass or thick jungle, should it scent 
a man who may be passing unseen to windward, it 
will rush down furiously upon the object it has 
winded, with three loud whiffs, resembling a jet of 
steam from a safety-valve. As it is most difficult 
and next to impossible to kill a rhinoceros when 
charging, on account of the protection to the brain 
afforded by the horns, an unexpected charge in 
thick jungle is particularly unpleasant; especially 
when on horseback, as there is no means of escape 
but to rush headlong through all obstacles, when 


































































































































































































































































ciiAr. xiv.j 


HORNS OF THE RHINOCEROS. 


3G5 


the rider will most likely share the fate that befell 
the unfortunate Jali. 

The horns of the black Abyssinian species seldom 
exceed two feet in length, and are generally much 
shorter; they are not fitted upon the bone, like the 
horns of all other animals, but are merely rooted 
upon the thick skin, of which they appear to be a 
continuation. Although the horn of a rhinoceros is 
a weapon of immense power, it has no solid founda¬ 
tion, but, when the animal is killed, it can be sepa¬ 
rated from its hold upon the second day after death, 
by a slight blow with a cane. The base forms an 
exceedingly shallow cup, and much resembles the 
heart of an artichoke when the leaves have been 
picked off. The teeth are very peculiar, as the mo¬ 
lars have a projecting cutting edge on the exterior 
side; thus the jaws when closed form a pair of 
shears, as the projecting edges of the upper and 
lower rows overlap : this is a favourable arrangement 
of nature to enable the animal to clip off* twigs and the 
branches upon which it feeds, as, although it does not 
absolutely refuse grass, the rhinoceros is decidedly a 
wood eater. There are particular bushes which form 
a great attraction, among these is a dwarf mimosa 
with a reddish bark ; this tree grows in thick masses, 
which the rhinoceros clips so closely that it frequently 
resembles a quickset hedge that has been cut by the 
woodman's shears. These animals are generally seen 
in pairs, or the male, female, and calf; the mother 
is very affectionate, and exceedingly watchful and 


366 PECULIARITY OF THE RHINOCEROS. [ciiap.'xiw 

savage. Although so large an animal, the cry is 
very insignificant, and is not unlike the harsh shrill 
sound of a penny trumpet. The drinking hour is 
about 8 p.m. or two hours after sunset, at which 
time the rhinoceros arrives at the river from his 
daily retreat, which is usually about four miles in 
the interior. He approaches the water by regular 
paths made by himself, but not always by the 
same route; and, after drinking, he generally retires 
to a particular spot beneath a tree that has been 
visited upon regular occasions; in such places large 
heaps of dung accumulate. The hunters take advan¬ 
tage of this peculiarity of the rhinoceros, and they 
set traps in the path to his private retreat; but he is 
so extremely wary, and so acute is the animal’s power 
of scent, that the greatest art is necessary in setting 
the snare. A circular hole about two feet deep and 
fifteen inches in diameter is dug in the middle of 
his run, near the tree that has been daily visited ; 
upon this hole is placed a hoop of tough wood ar¬ 
ranged with a vast number of sharp spikes of a 
strong elastic wood, which, fastened to the rim, 
meet at the centre, and overlap each other as 
would the spokes of a wheel in the absence of the 
nave, if lengthened sufficiently. We will simplify 
the hoop by calling it a wheel without a centre, 
the spokes sharpened and overlapping in the middle. 
This instrument being fitted neatly above the hole, 
a running noose of the strongest rope is laid in a 
circle upon the wheel; the other extremity of the 


chap, xiv.] RHINOCEROS SNARE. 3(}J 

rope is fastened to the trunk of a tree that has 
been felled for that purpose, and deeply notched 
at one end to prevent the rope from slipping. This 
log, which weighs about five or six hundredweight, 
is then buried horizontally in the ground, and the 
entire trap is covered with earth and carefully con¬ 
cealed ; the surface is smoothed with a branch in¬ 
stead of the hand, as the scent of a human touch 
would at once be detected by the rhinoceros. When 
completed, a quantity of the animaTs dung is swept 
from the heap upon the snare. If the trap is undis¬ 
covered, the rhinoceros steps upon the hoop, through 
which his leg sinks into the hole, and upon his 
attempt to extricate his foot, the noose draws tight 
over the legs ; as the spiked hoop fixing tightly 
into the skin prevents the noose from slipping over 
the foot. Once caught, his first effort to escape 
drags the heavy log from the trench, and as the 
animal rushes furiously away, this acts as a drag, 
and, by catching in the jungle and the protruding 
roots of trees, it quickly fatigues him. On the 
following morning the hunters discover the rhino¬ 
ceros by the track of the log that has ploughed 
along the ground, and the animal is killed by lances, 
or by the sword. The hide of a rhinoceros will produce 
seven shields; these are worth about, two dollars each, 
as simple hide before manufacture; the horn is. 
sold in Abyssinia for about two dollars per pound, 
for the manufacture of sword-hilts, which are much 
esteemed if of this material. 


368 


BARRAKE POISONS HERSELF. 


[chap. XIV. 


Upon our return to camp, I found tliat the woman 
Barrake was ill. She had insisted upon eating a 
large’ quantity of the fruit of the hegleek tree 
(Balanites JEgyptiaca ), which abounded in this neigh¬ 
bourhood. This tree is larger than the generality 
in that country, being about thirty feet in height 
and eighteen inches in diameter; the ashes of the 
burnt wood are extremely rich in potash, and the 
fruit, which is about the size and shape of a date, 
is sometimes pounded and used by the Arabs in 
lieu of soap for washing their clothes. This fruit 
is exceedingly pleasant, but in a raw state it has an 
irritating effect upon the bowels, and should be 
used in small quantities. Barrake had been cautioned 
by the Arabs and ourselves, but she had taken a 
fancy that she was determined to gratify; therefore 
she had eaten the forbidden fruit from morning until 
night, and a grievous attack of diarrhoea was the 
consequence. My wife had boiled the fruit with 
wild honey, and had made a most delicious preserve ; 
in this state it was not unwholesome. She had like¬ 
wise preserved the fruit of the nabbuk in a similar 
manner: the latter resembles minute apples in ap¬ 
pearance, with something of the medlar in flavour; 
enormous quantities were produced upon the banks 
of the river, which falling when ripe, were greedily 
eaten by guinea-fowl, wild hogs, antelopes, and 
monkeys. Elephants are particularly fond of the 
fruit of the hegleek, which, although apparently 
too insignificant for the attention of such mighty 


chap, xiv.] ATTRACTIVE FOOD FOR ELEPHANTS. 369 

animals, they nevertheless enjoy beyond any other 
food, and they industriously gather them one by 
one. At the season when the fruit is ripe, the 
hegleek tree is a certain attraction to elephants, who 
shake the branches and pick up the fallen berries 
with their trunks; frequently they overturn the tree 
itself, as a more direct manner of feeding. 

Florian was quite incapable of hunting, as he was 
in a weak state of health, and had for some months 
been suffering from chronic dysentery. I had several 
times cured him, but, as Barrakd insisted upon eating 
fruit, so he had a weakness for the strongest black 
coffee, which, instead of drinking, like the natives, 
in minute cups, he swallowed wholesale in large 
basins, several times a day; this was actual poison 
with his complaint, and he was completely ruined in 
health. He had excellent servants,—Bicharn, whom 
I subsequently engaged, who was my only faithful 
man in my journey up the White Nile, and two 
good Dongalowas. 

At this time, bis old companion, Johann Schmidt, 
the carpenter, arrived, having undertaken a contract 
to provide, for the Italian Zoological Gardens, a 
number of animals. I therefore proposed that the 
two old friends should continue together, while I 
would hunt by myself, with the aggageers, towards 
the east and south. 

This arrangement was agreed to, and we parted. 
In the following season, I engaged this excellent 
man, Johann Schmidt, as my lieutenant for the 


B B 


370 FLORIAN KILLED BY A LION. [chap. xiv. 

White Nile expedition, on the banks of which fatal 
river he now lies, with the cross that I erected 
over his grave. 

Poor Florian at length recovered from his com¬ 
plaint, but was killed by a lion. He had wounded 
an elephant, which on the following morning he 
found dead; a lion had eaten a portion during the 
night. While he was engaged with his men in 
extracting the tusks, one of his hunters (a Tokroori) 
followed the track of the lion on the sand, and found 
the animal lying beneath a bush; he fired a single- 
barrelled rifle, and wounded it in the thigh. He 
at once returned to his master, who accompanied 
him to the spot, and the lion was found lying 
under the same bush, licking the wound. Florian 
fired, and missed; the lion immediately crouched 
for a spring; Florian fired his remaining barrel, 
the ball merely grazed the lion, who almost in the 
same instant bounded forward, and struck him upon 
the head with a fearful blow of the paw, at the 
same time it seized him by the throat. 

The Tokroori hunter, instead of flying from the 
danger, placed the muzzle of his rifle to the lion's 
ear, and blew its brains out on the body of his 
master. The unfortunate Florian had been struck 
dead, and great difficulty was found in extracting 
the claws of the lion, which had penetrated the 
skull. Florian, although a determined hunter, was 
an exceedingly bad shot, and withal badly armed 
for encounters with dangerous game ; I had frequently 


chap, xiv.] GLOOMY PREDICTION . 371 

prophesied some calamity from the experience I had 
had in a few days’ shooting in his society, and most 
unhappily my gloomy prediction was fulfilled. 

This was the fate of two good and sterling 
Germans, who had been my companions in this 
wild country, where degrees of rank are entirely 
forgotten, provided a man be honest and true. T 
constantly look back to the European acquaintances 
and friends that I made during my sojourn in Africa, 
nearly all of whom are dead : a merciful Providence 
guided us through many dangers and difficulties, 
and shielded us from all harm, during nearly five 
years of constant* exposure. Thanks be to God. 

Our camels returned from Geera with corn, accom¬ 
panied by an Abyssinian hunter, who was declared 
by Abou Do to be a good man, and dexterous with 
the sword. We accordingly moved our camp, said 
adieu to Florian and Johann, and penetrated still 
deeper into the Base. 


B B 2 

jT" 


CHAPTER XV. 


ANTELOPES ON THE SETTITE. 

Our course lay as usual along the banks of the 
river, which we several times forded to avoid the 
bends. Great numbers of antelopes were upon the 
river s bed, having descended to drink; by making 
a circuit, I cut off one party upon their retreat, 
and made two good shots with the Fletcher No. 24, 
bagging two tetel ( Antelope Bubalis) at considerable 
ranges. I also shot an ariel {G. Dctma), and, upon 
arriving at a deep pool in the river, I shot a bull 
hippopotamus, as a present for Taher Sheriff and his 
brothers. We decided upon encamping at a spot 
known to the Arabs as Delladilia; this was the 
forest upon the margin of the river where I had 
first shot the bull elephant, when the aggageers 
fought with him upon foot. The trees were larger 
in this locality than elsewhere, as a great portion 
of the country was flooded by the river during 
the rainy season, and much rich soil had been de¬ 
posited ; this, with excessive moisture, had produced 
a forest of fine timber, with an undergrowth of 


CHAP. XV.] THE CAMP AT BELL ALULA. 373 

thick nabbuk. We fixed upon a charming spot for 
a camp, beneath a large tree that bore a peculiar 
fruit, suspended from the branches by a strong 
but single fibre, like a cord; each fruit was about 
eighteen inches in length, by six in diameter; it 
was perfectly worthless, but extremely ornamental. 
We had arrived beneath this tree, and were still 
on horseback; my wife had just suggested that it 
would be unpleasant should one of the large fruit 
fall upon our heads if we camped under the branches, 
when suddenly a lioness glided by us, within three 
yards of the horses, and almost immediately dis¬ 
appeared in the thick thorns; unfortunately, I had 
the moment before given my rifle to a servant, prior 
to dismounting. I searched the bushes in every 
direction, but to no purpose. 

This spot was so favourably situated that I deter¬ 
mined to remain for some time, as T could explore 
the country on horseback to a great distance upon 
all sides. We immediately set to work to construct 
our new camp, and by the evening our people had 
cleared a circle of fifty yards diameter; this was 
swept perfectly clean, and the ground being hard, 
though free from stones, the surface was as even 
as a paved floor. The entire circle was well pro¬ 
tected with a strong fence of thorn bushes, for 
which the kittar is admirably adapted; the head 
being mushroom-shaped, the entire tree is cut down, 
and the stem being drawn towards the inside of 
the camp, the thick and wide-spreading thorny crest 


374 


TRIOXIS KILOTICA. 


[chap. XV. 


covers about twelve feet of the exterior frontage; 
a fence thus arranged is quickly constructed, and 
is quite impervious. Two or three large trees grew 
within the camp; beneath the shade of this, our tent 
was pitched. This we never inhabited, but it served 
as an ordinary room, and a protection to the luggage, 
guns, &c. The horses were well secured within a 
double circle of thorns, and the goats wandered 
about at liberty, as they were too afraid of wild 
animals to venture from the camp : altogether this 
was the most agreeable spot we had ever occupied; 
even the night-fires would be perfectly concealed 
within the dense shade of the nabbuk jungle, thus 
neither man nor beast would be aware of our pre¬ 
sence. We were about a hundred paces distant 
from the margin of the river; late in the evening 
I took my rod, and fished in the deep bend beneath 
a cliff of conglomerate pebbles. I caught only one 
fish, a baggar, about twelve pounds, but I landed 
th^ee large turtles; these creatures were most de¬ 
termined in taking the bait; they varied in size 
from fifty to about ninety pounds, and were the 
same species as that which inhabits the Nile (Trionis 
Nilotica). From one of them we took upwards of 
a hundred eggs, which we converted into omelettes, 
but they were rather strong in flavour. 

Although this species of turtle is unprepossessing 
in appearance, having a head very like that of a 
snake, with a dark green shell spotted’’with yellow, 
it produces excellent soup; the body is exceedingly 


chap. xv.J FISH LINKED TO REPTILES. 375 

flat, and the projecting edges of the shell are soft; 
it runs extremely fast upon the shore, and is sug¬ 
gestive of the tortoise that heat the hare in the 
well-known race. Throughout the Nile and its tri¬ 
butaries there are varieties of fish and reptiles closely 
connected, and the link can he distinctly traced in 
the progression of development. There is a fish 
with a hard bony frame, or shell, that includes the 
head, and extends over more than half the body ; 
this has two long and moveable spikes beneath the 
fore fins, upon which it can raise itself as upon legs 
when upon the land; when first caught, this fish 
makes a noise something like the mewing of a cat: 
this appears to be closely linked to the tortoise. 
The Lepidosiren Annectens , found in the White Nile, 
is a link between the fish and the frog; and certain 
varieties of mud fish that remain alive throughout 
a dry season in the sun-baked earth, and reappear 
with the following rains, exhibit a close affinity to 
reptiles. 

On the morning after our arrival, I started to 
explore the country with the aggageers, and rode 
about forty miles. From this point, hills of basalt 
and granite commenced, connected by rugged un¬ 
dulations of white quartz, huge blocks of which 
were scattered upon the surface ; in many of these 
1 found thin veins of galena. 

All the rocks were igneous; we had left the 
sandstone that had marked the course of the Atbara 
and the valley of the Settite as far as Ombrega, 


376 SCENES ON THE RIVENS MARGIN. [chap. xv. 

and I was extremely puzzled to account for the 
presence of the pure white and rose-coloured lime¬ 
stone that we had found only in one place—Geera. 
As we were now among the hills and mountains, 
the country was extremely beautiful; at the farthest 
point of that day’s excursion we were close to the 
high range from which, in the rainy season, innu¬ 
merable torrents pour into the Settite; some of these 
gorges were ornamented with the dark foliage ot 
large tamarind trees, while upon rocks that did not 
appear to offer any sustenance, the unsightly yet 
mighty baobab* grasped with its gnarled roots the 
blocks of granite, and formed a peculiar object in 
the wild and rugged scenery. 

Through this romantic wilderness, the Settite 
flowed in a clear and beautiful stream, sometimes 
contracted between cliffs to a width of a hundred 
yards, at others stretching to three times that dis¬ 
tance. The hippopotami were in great numbers; 
many were lying beneath the shady trees upon the 
banks, and splashed into the water as we appeared ; 
others were basking in large herds upon the shal¬ 
lows ; while the young calves, supported upon the 
backs of their mothers, sailed about upon their ani¬ 
mated rafts in perfect security. The Base had been 
here recently, as we discovered their footprints upon 
the sand, and we arrived at some tobacco planta¬ 
tions that they had formed upon the sandbanks of 

* The largest Baobab (Adansonia digitatd) that I have measured, 
was fifty-one feet and one inch in circumference. 


chap, xv.] THE NELLUT {A. STREPSICEROS). 3 JJ 

the river. The aggageers expressed their determi¬ 
nation to sabre them should we happen to meet, 
and were much displeased at my immediately placing 
a veto a upon their bloody intentions, with a reserva¬ 
tion for necessity in self-defence. 

The Base were far too wide awake, and, although 
seen once during the day by my people, they dis¬ 
appeared like monkeys ; their spies had doubtless 
reported our movements ever since we had entered 
their country, and, fearing the firearms, they had 
retreated to their fastnesses among the mountains. 

During the day’s march we had seen a large 
quantity of game, but I had not wished to shoot 
until on our return towards the camp. We were 
about four miles from home, when a nellut (A. 
Strcpsiceros) bounded away from a ravine. I was 
riding Tetel, whom I had taught to stand fire, in 
which he was remarkably steady. I made a quick 
vshot with the little Fletcher from the saddle, but, 
as the nellut ran straight before me, the bullet 
struck the haunch ; away went the aggageers after 
the wounded animal, like greyhounds, and in a few 
hundred yards^the sword finished the hunt. 

The nellut is the handsomest of all the large 
antelopes; the male is about thirteen hands high, 
.and carries a pair of beautiful spiral horns, upwards 
of three feet in length; the colour of the hide is 
a dark mouse-grey, ornamented with white stripes 
down the flanks, and a white line along the back 
from the shoulder to the tail. The female is with- 


378 


SWIMMING RIVERS WITH A HORSE. [chap. xv. 


out horns, hut is in other respects similar to the 
male. These beautiful animals do not inhabit the 
plains like the other varieties of antelopes, but are 
generally found in deep wooded ravines. In South 
Africa it is known as the koodoo. 

The aggageers quickly flayed and quartered the 
game, which was arranged upon the horses, and thus 
it was carried to our camp, at which we arrived 
late in the evening. 

On the following morning, at my usual hour of 
starting, a little before sunrise, we crossed a deep 
portion of the river, through which the horses were 
obliged to swim ; on this occasion I rode Aggahr, who 
was my best hunter. In that very charming and use¬ 
ful book by Mr. Francis Galton, “ The Art of Travel/' 
advice is given for crossing a deep river, by holding 
to the tail <5f the swimming horse :—in this I cannot 
agree; the safety of the man is much endangered 
by the heels of the horse, and his security depends 
upon the length of the animal’s tail. In rivers 
abounding in crocodiles, which generally follow an 
animal before they seize, the man hanging on to the 
tail of the horse is a most alluring bait, and he 
would certainly be taken, should one of these hor¬ 
rible monsters be attracted to the party. I have 
always found great comfort in crossing a river by 
simply holding to the mane, just in front of the 
saddle, with my left hand, with the bridle grasped 
as loosely as possible, so that the horse does not feel 
the bit; in this position on the off side, the animal 


CHAP. XV.] 


THE LION. 


379 


does not feel any hindrance; the man not only can 
direct his liorse, but his presence gives it confidence, 
as he can speak to it coaxingly while swimming 
with one arm by its side. Upon landing, he at once 
controls the horse by the reins within his left grasp. 

Many horses become exceedingly scared in swim¬ 
ming a rapid river, and will frequently lose their 
presence of mind, and swim with the current, in which 
case they may miss the favourable landing place; if 
the man holds by the .tail, he has no control over 
the horse upon landing, and, if wild or vicious, the 
animal will probably kick up its heels and bolt away, 
leaving the unfortunate proprietor helpless. In swim¬ 
ming a river with the horse, the powder, &c. should 
be made into a parcel with your outer garment, and 
tied upon the head ; then lead your horse gently 
into the water, and for a moment allow it to drink, 
to prevent all shyness; continue to lead it until you 
lose your depth, when, by holding with your left 
hand to the mane, both horse and man will cross 
with perfect ease. 

We had crossed the river, and, as we passed 
through an opening in the belt of jungle on the banks, 
and entered upon a plain interspersed with clumps 
of bush, we perceived, at about two hundred yards' 
distance, a magnificent lion, whose shaggy yellow 
mane gave him a colossal appearance, as he stalked 
quietly along the flat sandy ground towards the 
place of his daily retreat. The aggageers whispered, 
“ El Assut! ” (the lion), and instinctively the swords 


380 


THE LION HUNT. 


[chap, xv 


flashed from their sheaths. In an instant, the horses 
were at full speed sweeping over the level ground. 
The lion had not observed us; but, upon hearing 
the sound of the hoofs, he halted and raised his 
head, regarding us for a moment with wonder, as 
we rapidly decreased our distance, when, thinking 
retreat advisable, he bounded off, followed by the 
excited hunters, as hard as the horses could be 
pressed. Having obtained a good start, we had 
gained upon him, and we kept up the pace until we 
at length arrived within about eighty yards of the 
lion, who, although he appeared to fly easily along 
like a cat, did not equal the speed of the horses. It 
was a beautiful sight. Aggalir was an exceedingly 
fast horse, and, having formerly belonged to one of 
the Hamran hunters, he thoroughly understood his 
work. His gallop was perfection, and his long steady 
stride was as easy to himself as to his rider; there 
was no necessity to guide him, as he followed an 
animal like a greyhound, and sailed between the 
stems of the numerous trees, carefully avoiding their 
trunks, and choosing his route where the branches 
allowed ample room for the rider to pass beneath. 
In about five minutes we had run the lion straight 
across the plain, through several open strips of mimosas, 
and we were now within a few yards, but unfortunately, 
just as Taher and Abou Do dashed forward in the 
endeavour to ride upon either flank, he sprang down a 
precipitous ravine, and disappeared in the thick thorns. 

This ravine formed a broad bottom, which, covered 


CIIAF. XV.] 


THE ESC ATE. 


381 


with, dense green nabbuk, continued for a great dis¬ 
tance, and effectually saved the lion. I was much 
disappointed, as we should have had a glorious fight, 
and I had long sought for an opportunity of witness¬ 
ing an attack upon the lion with the sword. The 
aggageers were equally annoyed, and they explained 
that they should have been certain to kill him. 
Their plan was to ride upon either flank, at a few 
yards’ distance, when he would have charged one 
man, who would have dashed away, while the other 
hunter would have slashed the lion through the back 
with his sword. They declared that, a good hunter 
should be able to protect himself by a back-handed 
blow with his sword, should the lion attack the horse 
from behind; but that, the great danger in a lion hunt 
arose, when the animal took refuge in a solitary bush, 
and turned to bay. In such instances, the hunters 
surrounded the bush, and rode direct towards him, 
when he generally sprang out upon some man or 
horse ; he was then cut down immediately by the 
sabre of the next hunter. The aggageers declared 
that, in the event of an actual fight, the death of 
the lion was certain, although one or more men or 
horses might be wounded, or perhaps killed. 

The morning gallop had warmed our nags after 
their bath in the cool river, and we now continued 
leisurely towards the stream, upon the margin of 
which we rode for several miles. We had determined 
to set fire to the grass, as, although upon poorer soil 
it had almost disappeared through the withering of the 


3S2 


THE BULL BUFFALO. 


[ciiai\ xv. 


roots, upon fertile ground it was almost nine feet high, 
and not only concealed tlie game, but prevented us 
from riding. We accordingly rode towards a spot 
where bright yellow herbage invited the fire-stick ; 
but hardly had we arrived, than we noticed a solitary 
bull buffalo (Bos Coffer ), feeding within about a hun¬ 
dred and fifty yards. I immediately dismounted, and, 
creeping towards him to within fifty paces, I shot him 
through the neck with one of my Reilly No. 10 rifles. 
1 had hoped to drop him dead by the shot, instead of 
which he galloped off, of course followed by the agga- 
geers, with the exception of one, who held my horse. 
Quickly mounted, we joined in the hunt, and in about 
three minutes we ran the buffaloo to bay in a thicket 
of thorns on the margin of the river. These thorns 
were just thick enough to conceal him at times, but 
to afford us a glance of his figure as he moved from 
his position. There was a glade which cut through 
and divided the jungle, and I wished the aggageers to 
drive him, if possible, across this, when I should have 
a good opportunity of shooting. To my astonish¬ 
ment one of the most daring hunters jumped off his 
horse with his drawn sword, and, telling me to look 
out, he coolly entered the jungle alone to court the 
attack of the buffalo. I would not allow him to risk 
his life for an animal that I had been the first to 
wound, therefore 1 insisted upon his return, and beg¬ 
ging Abou Do to hold my bridle when I should 
fire, I rode with him carefully along the skirts of 
the jungle along the glade, keeping a good look-out 


CHAP. XV.] 


DEATH OF THE BULL. 


383 


among the thorns for the buffalo. Presently I heard 
a short grunt within twenty yards of us, and I 
quickly perceived the buffalo standing broadside on, 
with his head turned to the wind that brought down 
the scent of the people on the other side. 

I had my little Fletcher No. 24 in my hand—that 
handy little weapon that almost formed an extra bone 
of myself, and, whispering to Abou Do to hold my 
bridle close to the bit, as Aggalir was not very steady 
under fire, I took a clean shot direct at the centre of 
the shoulder. The ball smacked as though it had 
struck an iron target, Aggahr gave a start, and for 
the moment both Abou Do and myself were prepared 
for a rush ; but the buffalo had never flinched, and he 
remained standing as though immoveable. Abou Do 
whispered, “ You missed him, I heard the bullet strike 
the tree I shook my head, and quickly re-loaded—it 
was impossible to miss at that distance, and I knew 
that I had fired steadily. Hardly had I rammed the 
bullet down, when, with a sudden thump, down fell 
the buffalo upon his side, and, rolling over upon his 
back, he gave a few tremendous struggles, and lay 
ffead. 

Great caution should be invariably used in approach¬ 
ing a fallen buffalo and all other dangerous animals, 
.as they are apt to recover sufficiently, upon seeing the 
<memy, to make a, last effort to attack, which is 
generally more serious than 'any other phase of the 
hunt. We accordingly pitched a few large stones at 
liim to test the reality of death, and then walked up 


384 


TIIE ARABS’ TIT BIT. 


[chap. XV. 


and examined him. The Keilly No. 10 had gone 
quite through the neck, but had missed a vital part. 
The little Fletcher had made a clean and minute hole 
exactly through the shoulder, and upon opening the 
body we found the ball sticking in the ribs on the 
opposite side, having passed through the very centre 
of the lungs. 

The aggageers now carefully flayed it, and divided 
the tough hide into portions accurately measured for 
shields. One man galloped back to direct the two 
water-camels that were following in our tracks, while 
others cut up the buffalo, and prepared the usual 
disgusting feast by cutting up the reeking paunch, 
over which they squeezed the contents of the gall¬ 
bladder, and consumed the whole, raw and steaming.*' 
On the arrival of the camels they were quickly loaded, 
and we proceeded to fire the grass on our return to 
camp. The Arabs always obtained their fire by the 
friction of two pieces of wood; accordingly, they set 
to work. A piece of dry nabbuk was selected about 
as thick as the little finger. A notch was cut in this, 
and it was laid horizontally upon the ground, with 
the notch uppermost; into this was fitted the sharp 
point of a similar piece of wood, about eighteen inches 
long, which, being held perpendicularly with both 
hands, was worked between the palms like a drill, 
with as great a pressure as possible, from the top to 

* All these Arabs, in like manner with the Abyssinians, are sub¬ 
ject to the attacks of intestinal worms, induced by their habit of 
eating raw flesh. 


chap, xv.] THE ARAB PLAN FOR MAKING FIRE. 385 

the bottom, as tlie bands descended with the motion 
of rubbing or rolling the stick. After about two 
minutes of great labour, the notch began to smoke, 
a brown dust, like ground coffee, fell from the singed 
wood, and this charred substance, after increased fric¬ 
tion, emitted a still denser smoke, and commenced 
smouldering ; the fire was produced. A rag was torn 
from the thorn-brushed drawers of one of the party, 
in which the fire was carefully wrapped and fanned 
with the breath; it was then placed in a wisp of dry 
grass, and rapidly turned in the air until the flame 
burst forth. A burning-glass should be always carried 
in these countries, where a cloudless sky insures an 
effect. Although in Arab hands the making of fire 
appears exceedingly simple, I have never been able 
to effect it. I have worked at the two sticks until 
they have been smoking and I have been steaming, 
with my hands blistered, but I have never got beyond 
the smoke; there is a peculiar knack which, like 
playing the fiddle, must be acquired, although it 
looks very easy. It is not. every wood that will 
produce fire by this method; those most inflammable 
are the cotton-tree and the nabbuk. We now descended 
to the river, and fired the grass; the north wind was 
brisk, and the flames extended over miles of country 
within an hour. 

We returned towards the camp. On the way 
we saw numerous antelopes; and, dismounting, I 
ordered one of the hunters to lead my horse while I 
attempted to stalk a fine buck mehedehet (Redunca 
c c 


386 THE MEHEBEHAT ANTELOPE. [chap. xv. 

Ellipsyprimna). There were several in the herd, 
but there was a buck with a fine head a few yards 
in advance; they were standing upon an undulation 
on open ground backed by high grass. I had 
marked a small bush as my point of cover, and, 
creeping unobserved towards this, T arrived unseen 
within about a hundred and twenty yards of the 
buck. With the Fletcher 24 I made a good 
shoulder-shot; the buck gave a few bounds and fell 
dead; the does looked on in astonishment, and I 
made an equally lucky shot with the left-hand 
barrel, bringing down what I at first had mistaken 
to be a dee, but I discovered it to be a young 
buck. 

The Mehedehet is an antelope of great beauty ; 
it resembles the red deer in colour, but the coat is 
still rougher; it stands about thirteen hands in 
height, with a pair of long slightly-curved annulated 
horns. The live weight of the male would be about 
five hundred pounds ; the female, like the nellut 
(.Tragelciphus Strepsiceros) , is devoid of horns, and 
much resembles the female of the Sambur deer of 
India. This antelope is the “ water-buck ” of South 
Africa. 

On arrival at the camp, I resolved to fire the 
entire country on the following day, and to push 
still farther up the course of the Settite to the foot 
of the mountains, and to return to this camp in 
about a fortnight, by which time the animals that 
had been scared away by the fire would have 
























RHINOCEROS DISPERSING THE PARTY 


Seepage 387 











CHAP. XV.] 


SAUFE QUI PEU1! 


387 


returned. Accordingly, on tlie following morning, 
accompanied by a few of tlie aggageers, I started 
upon the south bank of the river, and rode for 
some distance into the interior, to the ground that 
was entirely covered with high withered grass. We 
were passing through a mass of kittar thorn-bush, 
almost hidden by the immensely high grass, when, 
as I was ahead of the party, T came suddenly upon 
the tracks of rhinoceros ; these were so unmistake- 
ably recent that I felt sure we were not far from 
the animals themselves. As I had wished to fire 
the grass, I was accompanied by my Tokrooris, and 
my horse-keeper, Mahomet No. 2. It was difficult 
ground for the men, and still more unfavourable for 
the horses, as large disjointed masses of stone were 
concealed in the high grass. 

We were just speculating as to the position of 
the rhinoceros, and thinking how uncommonly un¬ 
pleasant it would be should he obtain our wind, 
when whiff! whiff! whiff! We heard the sharp 
whistling snort, with a tremendous rush through the 
high grass and thorns close to us; and at the same 
moment two of these determined brutes were upon 
us in full charge. I never saw such a scrimmage ; 
muve qui peut ! There was no time for more than 
one look behind. I dug the spurs into Aggahr’s 
flanks, and clasping him round the neck, I ducked 
my head down to his shoulder, well protected with 
my strong hunting cap, and I kept the spurs going 
rts hard as I could ply them, blindly trusting to 
C C 2 


388 


NEARLY CAUGHT. 


[CHAF. XV. 


Providence and my good horse, over big rocks, fallen 
trees, thick kittar thorns, and grass ten feet high, 
with the two infernal animals in full chase only a 
few feet behind me. I heard their abominable 
whiffing close to me, but so did my horse also, 
and the good old hunter flew over obstacles that 
I should have thought impossible, and he dashed 
straight under the hooked thorn bushes and doubled 
like a hare. The aggageers were all scattered ; 
Mahomet No. 2 was knocked over by a rhinoceros; 
all the men were sprawling upon the rocks with 
their guns, and the party was entirely discomfited. 
Having passed the kittar thorn, I turned, and seeing 
that the beasts had gone straight on, I brought 
Aggahr s head round, and tried to give chase, but 
it was perfectly impossible; it was only a wonder 
that the horse had escaped in ground so difficult 
for riding. Although my clothes were of the 
strongest and coarsest Arab cotton cloth, which 
seldom tore, but simply lost a thread when caught 
in a thorn, I was nearly naked. My blouse was 
reduced to shreds ; as I wore sleeves only half wav 
from the shoulder to the elbow, my naked arms 
were streaming with blood; fortunately my hunting 
cap was secured with a chin strap, and still more 
fortunately I had grasped the horse's neck, other¬ 
wise I must have been dragged out of the saddle by 
the hooked thorns. All the men were cut and 
bruised, some having fallen upon their heads among 
the rocks, and others had hurt their legs in falling 


CHAP. XV.] 


FIRE CLEARS THE COUNTRY. 


389 


in their endeavours to escape. Mahomet No. 2, 
the horse-keeper, was more frightened than hurt, 
as he had been knocked down by the shoulder 
and not by the horn of the rhinoceros, as the 
animal had not noticed him; its attention was 
absorbed by the horse. 

I determined to set fire to the whole country 
immediately, and descending the hill towards the 
river to obtain a favourable wind, I put my men in 
a line, extending over about a mile along the river's 
bed, and they fired the grass in different places. 
With a loud roar, the flame leapt high in air and 
rushed forward with astonishing velocity; the grass 
was as inflammable as tinder, and the strong north 
wind drove the long line of fire spreading in every 
direction through the country. 

We now crossed to the other side of the river 
to avoid the flames, and we returned towards the 
camp. On the way, I made a long shot and badly 
wounded a tetel, but lost it in thick thorns; shortly 
after, I stalked a nellut (A. Strepsiceros ), and bagged 
it with the Fletcher rifle. 

We arrived early in camp, and on the following 
day we moved sixteen miles farther up stream, 
and camped under a tamarind tree by the side of 
the river. No European had. ever been farther than 
our last camp Delladilla, and that spot had only 
been visited by Johann Schmidt and Florian. In 
the previous year, my aggageers had sabred some 
of the Base at this very camping-place; they 


390 DISCRETION TIIE BETTER PART OF VALOJJR. [cn. xv. 


accordingly requested me to keep a vigilant watch 
during the night, as they would be very likely to 
attack us in revenge, unless they had been scared by 
the rifles and by the size of our party. They advised 
me not to remain long in this spot, as it would 
be very dangerous for my wife to be left almost 
alone during the day, when we were hunting, and 
that the Base would be certain to espy us from the 
mountains, and would most probably attack and 
carry her off when they were assured of our de¬ 
parture. She was not very nervous about this, but 
she immediately called the dragoman, Mahomet, who 
knew the use of a gun, and she asked him if he 
would stand by her in case they were attacked in 
my absence; the faithful servant replied, “ Mahomet 
fight the Base ? No, Missus; Mahomet not fight; 
if the Base come, Missus fight; Mahomet run away; 
Mahomet not come all the way from Cairo to get 
him killed by black fellers; Mahomet will run— 
Inshallah ! ” (please God). 

This frank avowal of his military tactics was very 
reassuring. There was a high hill of basalt, some¬ 
thing resembling a pyramid, within a quarter of a 
mile of us ; I accordingly ordered some of my men 
every day to ascend this look-out station, and I 
resolved to burn the high grass at once, so as to 
destroy all cover for the concealment of an enemy. 
That evening I very nearly burnt our camp; I had 
several times ordered the men to clear away the dry 
grass for about thirty yards from our resting-place: 


CHAP. XY.J 


TEE CAMP IN DANGER. 


391 


this they had neglected to obey. We had been joined 
a few days before by a party of about a dozen Hamran 
Arabs, who were hippopotami hunters; thus we mus¬ 
tered very strong, and it would have been the work 
of about half an hour to have cleared away the 
grass as I had desired. 

The wind was brisk, and blew directly towards our 
camp, which was backed by the river. I accordingly 
took a fire-stick, and I told my people to look sharp, 
as they would not clear away the grass. I walked to 
the foot of the basalt hill, and fired the grass in several 
places. In an instant the wind swept the flame and 
smoke towards the camp. All was confusion; the 
Arabs had piled the camel-saddles and all their corn 
and effects in the high grass about twenty yards from 
the tent; there was no time to remove all these things ; 
therefore, unless they could clear away the grass so as 
to stop the fire before it should reach the spot, they 
would be punished for their laziness by losing their 
property. The* fire travelled quicker than I had ex¬ 
pected, and, by the time I had hastened to the tent, I 
found the entire party working frantically; the Arabs 
were slashing down the grass with their swords, and 
sweeping it away with their shields, while my Tok- 
rooris were beating it down with long sticks and tear¬ 
ing it from its withered and fortunately tinder-rotten 
roots, in desperate haste. The flames rushed on, and 
we already felt the heat, as volumes of smoke enveloped 
us ; I thought it advisable to carry the gunpowder, 
(about 20 lbs.) down to the river, together with the 


392 


NEARLY BURNT OUT. 


[chap. XV. 


rifles; while my wife and Mahomet dragged the 
various articles of luggage to the same place of safety 
The fire now approached within about sixty yards, 
and dragging out the iron pins, I let the tent fall to 
the ground. The Arabs had swept a line like a high¬ 
road perfectly clean, and they were still tearing away 
the grass, when they were suddenly obliged to rush 
back as the flames arrived. 

Almost instantaneously the smoke blew over us, but 
the fire had expired upon meeting the cleared ground. 
I now gave them a little lecture upon obedience to 
orders ; and from that day, their first act upon halting 
for the night was to clear away the grass, lest I should 
repeat the entertainment. In countries that are 
covered with dry grass, it should be an invariable 
rule to clear the ground around the camp before night; 
hostile natives will frequently fire the grass to wind¬ 
ward of a party, or careless servants may leave their 
pipes upon the ground, which fanned by the wind 
would quickly create a blaze. That night the moun¬ 
tain afforded a beautiful appearance as the flames 
ascended the steep sides, and ran flickering up the 
deep gullies with a brilliant light. 

We were standing outside the tent admiring the 
scene, which perfectly illuminated the neighbourhood, 
when suddenly an apparition of a lion and lioness 
stood for a instant before us at about fifteen yards 
distance, and then disappeared over the blackened 
ground before I had time to snatch a rifle from the 
tent. No doubt they had been disturbed from the 

























































• . 














































































































































































HARPOONING THE CROCODILE. Seepage 393. 














































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































ciiAr. xv.] 


CROCODILE HARPOONING. 


393 


mountain by the fire, and had mistaken their way in 
the country so recently changed from high grass to 
black ashes. In this locality I considered it advisable 
to keep a vigilant watch during the night, and the 
Arabs were told off for that purpose. 

A little before sunrise I accompanied the howartis, 
or hippopotamus hunters, for a day’s sport. There 
were numbers of hippos in this part of the river, and 
we were not long before we found a herd. The hunters 
failed in several attempts to harpoon them, but they 
succeeded in stalking a crocodile after a most peculiar 
fashion. This large beast was lying upon a sandbank 
on the opposite margin of the river, close to a bed of 
rushes. 

The howartis, having studied the wind, ascended for 
about a quarter of a mile, and then swam across the 
river, harpoon in hand. The two men reached the 
opposite bank, beneath which they alternately waded 
or swam down the stream towards the spot upon which 
the crocodile was lying. Thus advancing under cover 
of the steep bank, or floating with the stream in 
deep places, and crawling like crocodiles across the 
shallows, the two hunters at length arrived at the 
bank of rushes, on the other side of which the 
monster was basking asleep upon the sand. They 
were now about waist-deep, and they kept close 
to the rushes with their harpoons raised, ready to 
cast the moment they should pass the rush bed and 
come in view of the crocodile. Thus steadily ad¬ 
vancing, they had just arrived at the corner within 


394 


TILE UGLY LITTLE STATUE. 


[chap, XV. 


about eight yards of the crocodile, when the creature 
either saw them, or obtained their wind; in an instant 
it rushed to the water ; at the same moment, the two 
harpoons were launched with great rapidity by the 
hunters. One glanced obliquely from the scales ; the 
other stuck fairly in the tough hide, and the iron, 
detached from the bamboo, held fast, while the 
ambatch float, running on the surface of the water, 
marked the course of the reptile beneath. 

The hunters chose a convenient place, and recrossed 
the stream to our side, apparently not heeding the 
crocodiles more than we should fear pike when 
bathing in England. They would not waste their 
time by securing the crocodile at present, as they 
wished to kill a hippopotamus; the float would mark 
the position, and they would be certain to find it 
later. We accordingly continued our search for 
hippopotami; these animals appeared to be on the 
qui vivc , and, as the hunters once more failed in an 
attempt, I made a clean shot behind the ear of one, 
and killed it dead. At length we arrived at a large 
pool in which were several sandbanks covered with 
rushes, and many rocky islands. Among these rocks 
was a herd of hippopotami, consisting of an old bull 
and several cows ; a young hippo was standing, like 
an ugly little statue, on a protruding rock, wdiile 
another infant stood upon its mothers back that 
listlessly floated on the water. 

This was an admirable place for the hunters. They 
desired me to lie down ; and they crept into the jungle 

















































HARPOONING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. Seepage 395 . 
































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































chap, xv.] HARPOONING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 395 

out of view of the river ; I presently observed them 
stealthily descending the dry bed about two hundred 
paces above the spot where the hippos were basking 
behind the rocks. They entered the river, and swam 
down the centre of the stream towards the rock. 
This was highly exciting:—the hippos were quite 
unconscious of the approaching danger, as, steadily 
and rapidly the hunters floated down the strong 
current; they neared the rock, and both heads dis¬ 
appeared as they purposely sank out of view ; in 
a few seconds later they reappeared at the edge of 
the rock upon which the young hippo stood. It 
would be difficult to say which started first, the 
astonished young hippo into the water, or the har¬ 
poons from the hands of the howartis! It was 
the affair of a moment; the hunters dived directly 
they had hurled their harpoons, and, swimming for 
some distance under water, they came to the surface, 
and hastened to the shore lest an infuriated hippo¬ 
potamus should follow them. One harpoon had missed; 
the other had fixed the bull of the herd, at which it 
had been surely aimed. This was grand sport! The 
bull was in the greatest fury, and rose to the surface, 
snorting and blowing in his impotent rage ; but as 
the ambatcli float was exceedingly large, and this 
naturally accompanied his movements, he tried to 
escape from his imaginary persecutor, and dived con¬ 
stantly, only to find his pertinacious attendant close 
to him upon regaining the surface. This was not to 
last long; the howartis were in earnest, and they 


396 


THE HARPOON FIXED. 


[chap. XV. 


at once called their party, who, with two of the 
aggageers, Abou Do and Suleiman, were near at hand ; 
these men arrived with the long ropes that form a 
portion of the outfit for hippo hunting. 

The whole party now halted on the edge of the 
liver, while two men swam across with one end of 
the long rope. Upon gaining the opposite hank, I 
observed that a second rope was made fast to the 
middle of the main line ; thus upon our side we 
held the ends of two ropes, while on the opposite 
side they had only one; accordingly, the point of 
junction of the two ropes in the centre formed an 
acute angle. The object of this was soon practically 
explained. Two men upon our side now each held 
a rope, and one of these walked about ten yards 
before the other. Upon both sides of the river the 
people now advanced, dragging the rope on the sur¬ 
face of the water until they reached the ambach float 
that was swimming to and fro, according to the 
movements of the hippopotamus below. By a dex¬ 
terous jerk of the main line, the float was now 
placed between the two ropes, and it was immediately 
secured in the acute angle by bringing together 
the ends of these ropes on our side. 

The men on the opposite bank now dropped their 
line, and our men hauled in upon the ambatch float that 
was held fast between the ropes. Thus cleverly made 
sure, we quickly brought a strain upon the hippo, and, 
although I have had some experience in handling big 
fish, I never knew one pull so lustily as the amphi- 









THE FIGHT WITH THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. Seepage 39 
















































































































































































































































































































































































CHAP. XV.] THE HIPPO DETERMINES TO FIGHT. 39 / 

Lions animal that we now alternately coaxed and 
bullied. He sprang out of the water, gnashed his 
huge jaws, snorted with tremendous rage, and lashed 
the river into foam; he then dived, and foolishly 
approached us beneath the water. We quickly 
gathered in the slack line, and took a round turn 
upon a large rock, within a few feet of the river. 
The hippo now rose to the surface, about ten yards 
from the hunters, and, jumping half out of the water, 
he snapped his great jaws together, endeavouring to 
catch the rope, but at the same instant two harpoons 
were-launched into his side. Disdaining retreat, and 
maddened with rage, the furious animal charged from 
the depths of the river, and, gaining a footing, he ^ 
reared his bulky form from the surface, came boldly 
upon the sandbank, and attacked the hunters open- 
mouthed. He little knew his enemy ; they were not 
the men to fear a pair of gaping jaws, armed with a 
deadly array of tusks, but half a dozen lances were 
hurled at him, some entering his mouth from a 
distance of five or six paces, at the same time several 
men threw handfuls of sand into his enormous eyes. 
This baffled him more than the lances ; he crunched 
the shafts between his powerful jaws like straws, but 
he was beaten by the sand, and, shaking his huge 
head, he retreated to the river. During his sally 
upon the shore, two of the hunters had secured the 
ropes of the harpoons that had been fastened in his 
body just before his charge ; he was now fixed by 
three of these deadly instruments, but suddenly one 


398 


TIIE LANCES ARE BLUNTED. 


[chap. XV. 


rope gave way, having been bitten through by the 
enraged beast, who was still beneath the water. 
Immediately after this he appeared on the surface, 
and, without a moment’s hesitation, he once more 
charged furiously from the water straight at the 
hunters, with his huge mouth open to such an extent 
that he could have accommodated two inside passen¬ 
gers. Suleiman was wild with delight, and springing 
forward lance in hand, he drove it against the head of 
the formidable animal, but without effect. At the 
same time, Abou Do met the hippo sword in hand, 
reminding me of Perseus slaying the sea-monster that 
would devour Andromeda, but the sword made a 
harmless gash, and the lance, already blunted against 
the rocks, refused to penetrate the tough hide; once 
more handfuls of sand were pelted upon his face, and 
again repulsed by this blinding attack, he was forced 
to retire to his deep hole and wash it from his eyes. 
Six times during the fight the valiant bull hippo 
quitted his watery fortress, and charged resolutely at 
his pursuers ; he had broken several of their lances in 
his jaws, other lances had been hurled, and, falling 
upon the rocks, they were blunted, and would not 
penetrate. The fight had continued for three hours, 
and the sun was about to set, accordingly the hunters 
begged me to give him the coup dc grace , as they 
had hauled him close to the shore, and they feared he 
would sever the rope with his teeth. I waited for a 
good opportunity, when he boldly raised his head from 
water about three yards from the rifle, and a bullet 


CHAP. XV.] 


IIOR MEHETA PR 


399 


from tlie little Fletcher between the eyes closed the last 
act. This spot was not far from the pyramidical hill 
beneath which I had fixed our camp, to which I 
returned after an amusing day’s sport. 

The next morning, I started to the mountains to 
explore the limit that I had proposed for my expe¬ 
dition on the Settite. The Arabs had informed me 
that a river of some importance descended from the 
mountains, and joined the main stream about twelve 
miles from our camp. The aggageers were seriously 
expecting an attack from the Basd, and they advised 
me not to remain much longer in this spot. The 
route was highly interesting : about five miles to the 
south-east of the camp we entered the hilly and 
mountainous country; to the east rose the peaked 
head of Allatakoora, about seven thousand feet from 
the base, while S.S.E. was the lofty table-mountain, 
known by the Arabs as Boorkotan. We rode through 
fertile valleys, all of which were free from grass, as 
the various fires had spread throughout the country ; 
ut times we entered deep gorges between the hills, 
which were either granite, quartz, or basalt, the 
latter predominating. In about three hours and a 
half we arrived at Hor Mehetape, the stream that 
the Arabs had reported. Although a powerful torrent 
during the rains, it was insignificant as one of the 
tributaries to the Settite, as the breadth did not 
exceed twenty-five yards. At this season it was nearly 
dry, and at no time did it appear to exceed a depth 
of ten or twelve feet. As we had arrived at this 


400 


GEOLOGICAL FEATURES. 


[ciIAP. XT. 


point, some distance above the junction, we continued 
along the margin of the stream for about two miles 
until we reached the Settite. The Hor (a ravine) 
Melietape was the limit of my exploration; it was 
merely a rapid mountain torrent, the individual 
effect of which would be trifling ; but we were now 
among the mountains whose drainage caused the 
sudden rise of the Atbara river and the Nile. Far as 
the eye could reach to the south and east, the range 
extended in a confused mass of peaks of great altitude, 
from the sharp granite head of one thousand, to flat 
topped basalt hills of five or six thousand feet, and 
other conical points far exceeding, and perhaps double, 
that altitude. 

The Settite was very beautiful in this spot, as it 
emerged from the gorge between the mountains, and 
it lay in a rough stony valley about two hundred feet 
below our path as we ascended from the junction of 
the Hor, to better riding ground. In many places, 
our route lay over broken stones, which sloped at an . 
inclination of about thirty degrees throughout the 
entire distance to the river below ; these were formed 
of decomposed basalt rocks that had apparently been 
washed from decaying hills by the torrents of the rainy 
season. At other parts of the route, we crossed above 
similar debris of basalt that lay at an angle of about 
sixty degrees, from a height of perhaps two hundred 
feet to the waters edge, and reminded me of the 
rubbish shot from the side of a mountain when boring 

o 

a tunnel. The whole of the basalt in this portion of 


chap, xv.] UNPLEASANT REPORT OF THE SPIES. 401 

the country was a dark slate colour; in some places 
it was almost black ; upon breaking a great number 
of pieces I found small crystals of olivine. Much 
of the granite was a deep red, but the exterior coating 
was in all cases decomposed, and crumbled at a blow; 
exhibiting a marked contrast to the hard-faced granite 
blocks in the rainless climate of Lower Egypt. We 
saw but little game during the march—a few nellut 
and tetel, and the smaller antelopes, but no larger 
animals. 

We returned to camp late in the evening, and I 
found the howartis had secured the crocodile of 
yesterday, but the whole party was anxious to return 
to the camp at Delladilla, as unpleasant reports were 
brought into camp by our spies, who had seen parties 
of the Base in several directions. 


D D 


CHAPTER XVI. 


ABOU DO IS GREEDY. 

Abou Do and Suleiman had lately given me some 
trouble, especially the former, whose covetous nature 
had induced him to take much more than his share of 
the hides of buffaloes and other animals that I had shot 
all of which I had given to my head camel-man and 
tracker, Taher Noor, to divide among his people and 
the Tokrooris. This conduct was the more improper,, 
since the aggageers had become perfectly useless as 
elephant hunters; they had ridden so recklessly upon 
unnecessary occasions, that all their horses were lamed, 
and, with the exception of Abou Do's, they were in- 
capable of hunting. My three, having been well cared 
for, were in excellent condition. Abou Do coolly 
proposed that I should lend him my horses, which 
I of course refused, as I had a long journey before 
me; this led to disagreement, and I ordered him and 
his people to leave my camp, and to return to Geera. 
During the time they had been with me, I had shot 
great numbers of animals, including large antelopes, 
buffaloes, hippopotami, elephants, &c.; and about 





GAME RETURNING FROM THE RIVER 


Seepage 403 


' /'/1 







































chap, xvi.] DEPARTURE OF THE AGGAGEERS. 403 

twenty camel-loads of dried flesli, hides, fat, &c. had 
been transported to Geera as the Arabs' share of the 
spoils. They had also the largest share of ivory, and 
altogether they had never made so successful a hunting 
expedition. It was time to part; their horses being 
used up, they began to be discontented, therefore I 
had concluded that it would be advisable to separate, 
to avoid a graver misunderstanding. 

I warned them not to disturb my hunting-grounds 
by attempting to hunt during their journey, but they 
were to ride straight home, which they could accom¬ 
plish in four days, without baggage camels. This 
they promised to do, and we parted. 

I was now without aggageers, as Talier Sheriffs 
party had disagreed with Abou Do some time before, 
and they were hunting on their own account on the 
banks of the river Boyan, which I intended to visit 
after I should have thoroughly explored the Settite. 
I made up my mind to have one more day in the 
neighbourhood of my present camp, and then to return 
to our old quarters at Delladilla, previous to ovr 
journey to the Boyan junction. 

Within three hundred yards of the camp was a 
regular game path, by which the animals arrived at 
the river to drink every morning from seven to nine. 
I had shot several t^tel and ariel by simply waiting 
behind a rock at this place, and, as this was my last 
day, I once more concealed myself, and was shortly 
rewarded by the arrival of several herds, including 
nellut (A. Strepsiceros ), tetel (A. Bubalis), ariel (G. 

D D 2 


404 GAME RETURNING FROM THE RIVER . [chap. xvi. 

Dama), the black striped gazelle (G. Dorcas), the 
small oterop (Calotragus Montanus ); and, among 
these, two ostriches. I had seen very few ostriches in 
this country. I now had a good chance, as the herd 
of animals returned from drinking by charging at full 
speed up the steep bank from the water, and they 
passed about ninety yards from my hiding-place, 
headed by the ostriches. Having the little Fletcher, 
I was suddenly tempted to fire a right and left, so 
as to bag an ostrich with one barrel, and a tetel with 
the other. Both fell for an instant; the tetel dead, 
shot through the neck; but my ostrich, that was a 
fine cock bird, immediately recovered, and went off 
with his wife as hard as their long legs could carry 
them. I was exceedingly disgusted; I had evidently 
fired too far behind, not having allowed sufficiently 
for the rapidity of their speed. However, to make 
amends, I snatched a spare single-rifle from Hassan, 
and knocked over another tetel that was the last of 
the herd. For about an hour I attempted to follow 
up the tracks of the ostrich, but among the rocky hills 
this was impossible. I therefore mounted Aggalir, and 
with my tracker, Taher Noor, and the Tokrooris as 
gunbearers, I crossed the river and rode straight into 
the interior of the country. This was now thoroughly 
clear, as the fire had consumed the grass, and had left 
the surface perfectly black. Upon the ashes, the track 
of every animal could be seen distinctly. 

I had ridden about four miles, followed, as usual, 
by two camels with water, ropes, &c. when we observed 


CHAP. XVT.] 


A BULL RHINOCEROS. 


405 


in a perfectly open place, about three hundred 

yards from us, a rhinoceros standing alone. For¬ 

tunately, there was little or no wind, or, as we were 
to windward of him, he would instantly have per¬ 
ceived us. The moment that I saw him, I backed my 
horse and motioned to my people to retreat out of 
sight, which they did immediately. Dismounting, I 
gave them the horse, and, accompanied only by Taher 
Noor, who carried one of my spare rifles, I took a 

Reilly No. 10, and we made a circuit so as to obtain 

the wind, and to arrive upon the lee side of the rhi¬ 
noceros. This was quickly accomplished, but upon 
arrival at the spot, he was gone. The black ashes 
of the recent fire showed his foot-marks as clearly 
as though printed in ink, and as these were very close 
together, I knew that he had walked slowly off, and 
that he had not been disturbed, otherwise he would 
have started quickly. He had gone down wind ; it 
would, therefore, be impossible to follow upon his 
tracks. Our only resource was to make another 
circuit, when, should his tracks not have crossed the 
arc, we should be sure that he was to windward. 
Accordingly, we described half a circle of about five 
hundred yards. No tracks had crossed our path; the 
ground was stony and full of hollows, in which grew 
a few scattered mimosas, while the surface of the 
earth was covered in many places with dark brown 
masses of basalt rock. We carefully stepped over 
this uneven ground, lest some falling stone might 
give the alarm, and we momentarily expected to be 


40(3 WE STALK THE RHINOCEROS. [chap. xvi. 

in view of the enemy as we arrived at the edge of 
each successive hollow. Sure enough, as I glanced 
down a sudden inclination covered with scorched 
mimosas, I perceived him standing on the slope be¬ 
neath a tree within five-and-thirty paces ; this was 
close enough, and I took a steady shot behind the 
shoulder. The instant that I fired, he whisked 
sharply round, and looked upon all sides for the 
cause of his wound. I had taken the precaution to 
kneel down immediately after firing, and I now 
crouched close to a rock about two feet high, with 
which my brown blouse matched exactly, as well as 
my skin-covered hunting-cap. For a few moments 
he sought upon all sides for an enemy, during which 
T remained like a block of stone, but with my finger 
on the trigger ready for the left-hand barrel should he 
charge. Taher Noor was lying on the ground behind 
a stone about five yards from me, and the rhinoceros, 
having failed to discover us, walked slowly past me 
within less than ten yards, and gained the summit 
of the inclination, where the ground was level. As 
he passed, I reloaded quickly, and followed behind 
him. I saw that he was grievously wounded, as he 
walked slowly, and upon arrival at a thickly-spreading 
mimosa he laid down. We now advanced towards 
the tree, and I sent Taher Noor round to the other 
side in order to divert his attention should he be able 
to rise. This he quickly proved by springing up as 
I advanced ; accordingly, I halted until Taher Noor 
had taken his stand about eighty paces beyond the 


CHAP. XVI.] 


THE HEATH. 


40 7 


tree. The rhinoceros now turned and faced him; 
this gave me the opportunity that I had expected, 
and I ran quickly to within thirty yards, just in 
time to obtain a good shoulder shot, as hearing my 
footsteps he turned towards me. AVhiff! whiff! and 
he charged vigorously upon the shot; but just as I 
prepared to fire the remaining barrel, he ran round 
and round in a narrow circle, uttering a short, shrill 
cry, and fell heavily upon his side. I threw a stone 
at him, but he was already dead. Taher Noor re¬ 
turned for the people, who shortly arrived with the 
camels. I found that the last bullet of quicksilver 
and lead from my Beilly No. 10 had passed com¬ 
pletely through the body, just behind the shoulder. 
The first shot was also a mortal wound, having broken 
one rib upon either side, and passed through the 
posterior portion of the lungs ; the bullet was sticking 
under the skin on the opposite flank. The hide of 
the rhinoceros is exceedingly easy to detach from the 
body, as the quality is so hard and stiff that it sepa¬ 
rates from the flesh like the peel of a ripe orange. 

In a couple of hours, the hide had been detached 
in sections for shields, and sufficient flesh was loaded 
upon the camel, together with the vicious-looking 
head, which was secured by ropes upon the saddle. 
AVe were en route for the camp, when we suddenly 
came upon fresh elephant tracks, upon following 
which, we discovered, after about an hours march, 
the spoor of horses on the same path. At once the 
truth flashed upon me that, although Abou Do had 


408 THE AGGAGEERS ROACH UPON MY MANOR . [ch. xvi. 

promised to return direct home, he was somewhere 
in the neighbourhood, and he and his two companions 
were disturbing the country by hunting. I at once 
gave up the idea of following the elephants, as, in 
all probability, these aggageers had pursued them 
some hours ago. In a very bad humour I turned 
my horse's head and took the direction for the 
Settite river. As we descended from the hilly 
ground, after the ride of about four miles, we arrived 
upon an extensive plain, upon which I noticed a 
number of antelopes galloping as though disturbed ; 
a few moments later I observed three horsemen, a 
camel, and several men on foot, steering in the 
same direction as ourselves for the river, but arriv¬ 
ing from the high ground upon which we had 
seen the elephants. These were soon distinguished, 
and I rode towards them with my people ; they 
were the aggageers, with some of the hippopotami 
hunters. 

Upon our arrival among them, they looked ex¬ 
ceedingly sheepish, as they were caught in the act. 
Suspended most carefully upon one side of the 
camel, in a network of ropes, was a fine young 
rhinoceros which they had caught, having hunted 
the mother until she forsook the calf. Johann 
Schmidt had offered forty dollars for any young 
animal of this species, for the Italian menageries, 
therefore to the aggageers this was a prize of great 
value. I had hardly directed my attention to the 
calf, when I noticed a rope that was forcibly placed 


chap, xvi.] TIIEIR PRIZE DIES . 409 

under the throat to support the heavy head, the 
weight of which bearing upon the cord was evidently 
producing strangulation. The tongue of the animal 
was protruding, and the tail stiffened and curled 
convulsively above the back, while a twitching of 
the hind legs, that presently stretched to their full 
extent, persuaded me that the rhinoceros was in his 
last gasp. As I looked intently at the animal, while 
my Tokrooris abused Abou Do for having deceived 
us, I told the aggageers that they had not gained 
much by their hunt, as the rhinoceros was dead. 
For a moment Abou Do smiled grimly, and, quite 
unconscious ef the real fact, Suleiman replied, “ It 
is worth forty dollars to us.” “ Forty dollars for a 
dead rhinoceros calf!” I exclaimed •; “ who is fool 
enough to give it ? ” 

Abou Do glanced at the rhinoceros; his expression 
changed ; he jumped from his horse, and, assisted 
by the other aggageers, he made the camel kneel 
as quickly as possible, and they hastened to unstrap 
the unfortunate little beast, which upon being released 
and laid upon its side, convulsively stretched out its 
limbs, and lay a strangled rhinoceros. The aggageers 
gazed with dismay at their departed prize, and, 
with superstitious fear, they remounted their horses 
without uttering a word, and rode away ; they attri¬ 
buted the sudden death of the animal to the effect 
of my “evil eye.” We turned towards our camp. 
My Tokrooris were delighted, and I heard them 
talking and laughing together upon the subject, and 


4]0 TAKER NOOR FACES THE LION. [chap. xyi. 

remarking upon the extremely “ bad eye of tlieir 
master. 

On the rising of the sun next day we had struck 
our camp, and were upon the march to Delladilla. 
On the way I shot a splendid buck mehedehet ( R • 
Ellipsyprimna), and we arrived at our old quarters, 
finding no change except that elephants had visited 
them in our absence, and our cleanly-swept circus 
was covered with the dung of a large herd. As this 
spot generally abounded with game, I took a single- 
barrelled small rifle, while the men were engaged 
in pitching the tent and arranging the camp, and 
with Taher Noor as my only companion, I strolled 
through the forest, expecting to obtain a shot at a 
nellut within a quarter of a mile. I had walked 
about that distance, and had just entered upon a 
small green glade, when I perceived, lying at full 
length upon the sand, a large lion, who almost im¬ 
mediately sprang up, and at the same moment 
received a bullet from my rifle as he bounded 
beneath a bush and crouched among some withered 
grass. I was unloaded, when to my astonishment, 
Taher No or immediately drew his sword, and, with 
his shield in his left hand, he advanced boldly towards 
the wounded lion. I reloaded as quickly as possible, 
just as this reckless Hamran had arrived within 
springing distance of the lion, who positively slunk 
away and declined the fight; retreating into the 
thick thorns, it disappeared before I could obtain a 
shot. Taher Noor explained, that his object in 


CHAP. XVI.] WE START FRESH GAME. 411 

advancing towards the lion was to attract its atten¬ 
tion ; he had expected that it would have remained 
in a crouching position' until I should have reloaded; 
hut he ran the extreme risk of a charge, in which 
case he would have fared badly with simple sword 
and shield. Being close to the tent, I returned, and, 
in addition to my single barrelled rifle, I took my 
two Reilly No. 10, with Hassan and Hadji Ali. 
In company with Taher Noor we searched through¬ 
out the bushes for the wounded lion, but without 
success. I now determined to make a cast, hoping 
that we might succeed in starting some other animal 
that would give us a better chance. The ground 
was sandy but firm, therefore we made no sound 
in walking, and, as the forest was bounded upon 
two sides by the river, and separated from the main 
land by a ravine; the fire that had cleared the 
country of grass had spared this portion, which was 
an asylum for all kinds of game, as it afforded 
pasturage and cover. We had not continued our 
stroll for five minutes beyond the spot lately occupied 
by the lion, when we suddenly came upon two bull 
buffaloes, who were lying beneath a thick bush on 
the edge of a small glade : they sprang up as we 
arrived, and started off. I made a quick shot as 
they galloped across the narrow space, and dropped 
one apparently dead with a Reilly No. 10. My 
Tokrooris were just preparing to run in and cut 
the throat, as good Mussulmans, when the buffalo, 
that was not twenty yards distant, suddenly sprang 


412 


A CURIOUS SHOT\ 


[chap. XVI. 


to his feet and faced us. In another moment, with 
a short grunt, he determined upon a charge, but 
hardly was he in his first bound, when I fired the 
remaining barrel aimed at the point of the nose, as 
this was elevated to such a degree that it would 
have been useless to have fired at the forehead. He 
fell stone dead at the shot; we threw some clods 
of earth at him, but this time there was no mistake. 
Upon an examination of the body, we could only 
find the marks of the first bullet that had passed 
through the neck; there was no other hole in the 
skin, neither was there a sign upon the head or horns 
that he had been shot; at length I noticed blood 
issuing from the nose, and we found that the bullet 
had entered the nostril; I inserted a ramrod as a 
probe, and we cut to the extremity and found the 
bullet imbedded in the spine, which was shattered to 
pieces in a portion of the neck. As a souvenir of 
this very curious shot, I preserved the skull. My 
men now flayed the buffalo and took a portion of 
the meat, but I ordered them to leave the carcase 
as a bait for lions, with which this neighbourhood 
abounded, although it was exceedingly difficult to 
see them, as they were concealed in the dense covert 
of nabbuk bush. I left the buffalo, and strolled 
through the jungle towards the river. As I was lei¬ 
surely walking through alternate narrow glades and 
thick jungle, I heard a noise that sounded like the deep 
snort of the hippopotamus : I approached the steep 
bank of the river, and crept carefully to the edge. 


CHAP. XVI.] 


BAIT FOR THE LIONS. 


413 


expecting to see the hippo as I peered over the brink. 
Instead of the hippopotamus, a fine lion and lioness 
were lying on the sand about sixty yards to my left, 
at the foot of the bank. At the same instant they 
obtained our wind, and sprang up the high bank into 
the thick jungle, without giving me a better chance 
than a quick shot through a bush as they were dis¬ 
appearing. 

I now returned home, determined to circumvent the 
lions if possible in this very difficult country. That 
night we were serenaded by the roaring of these ani¬ 
mals in all directions, one of them having visited our 
camp, around which we discovered his footprints on 
the following morning. I accordingly took Taher 
Noor, with Hadji Ali and Hassan, two of my trusty 
Tokrooris, and went straight to the spot where I had 
left the carcase of the buffalo. As I had expected, 
nothing remained—not. even a bone : the ground was 
much trampled, and tracks of lions were upon the 
sand ; but the body of the buffalo had been dragged 
into the thorny jungle. I was determined, if possible, 
to get a shot, therefore I followed carefully the 
track left by the carcase, which bad formed a path 
in the withered grass. Unfortunately the lions had 
dragged the buffalo down wind, therefore, after I had 
arrived within the thick nabbuk and high grass, I 
came to the conclusion that my only chance would be 
to make a long circuit, and to creep up wind through 
the thorns, until I should be advised by my nose, of 
the position of the carcase, which would by this time 


414 


HIGHLY EXCITING. 


[chap. XVI. 


be in a state of putrefaction, and the lions would most 
probably be with the body. Accordingly, I struck 
off to my left, and continuing straight forward for 
some hundred yards, I again struck into the thick 
jungle, and came round to the wind. Success de¬ 
pended on extreme caution, therefore I advised my 
three men to keep close behind me with the spare 
rifles, as I carried my single-barrelled Beattie. This 
rifle was extremely accurate, therefore I had chosen it 
for this close work, when I expected to get a shot 
at the eye or forehead of a lion crouching in the bush. 
Softly and with difficulty I crept forward, followed 
closely by my men ; through the high withered grass, 
beneath the dense green nabbuk bushes ; peering 
through the thick covert, with the nerves tuned up to 
full pitch, and the finger on the trigger ready for any 
emergency. We had thus advanced for about half 
an hour, during which I frequently applied my nose 
to within a foot of the ground to catch the scent, 
when a sudden puff of wind brought the unmistake- 
able smell of decomposing flesh. For the moment I 
halted, and, looking round to my men, I made a sign 
that we were near to the carcase, and that they were 
to be ready with the rifles. Again I crept gently 
forward, bending, and sometimes crawling, beneath 
the thorns to avoid the slightest noise. As I ap¬ 
proached, the scent became stronger, until I at length 
felt that I must be close to the cause. This was 
highly exciting. Fully prepared for a quick shot, I 
stealthily crept on. A tremendous roar in the dense 


CHAr. xvi.] MY TOKRGORIS DON'T LIKE THE LION. 415 

thorns within a few feet of me suddenly brought my 
rifle to my shoulder : almost in the same instant I 
observed the three-quarter figure of either a lion or a 
lioness within three yards of me, on the other side 
of the bush, under which I had been creeping—the 
foliage concealed the head, but I could almost have 
touched the shoulder with my rifle. Much depended 
upon the bullet; and I fired exactly through the 
centre of the shoulder. Another tremendous roar ! 
and a crash in the bushes as the animal made a bound 
forward, was succeeded immediately by a similar roar, 
as another lion took the exact position of the last, and 
stood wondering at the report of the rifle, and seeking 
for the cause of the intrusion. This was a grand lion 
with a shaggy mane ; but I was unloaded, keeping 
my eyes fixed on the beast, while I stretched my hand 
back for a spare rifle ; the lion remained standing, but 
gazing up wind with his head raised, snuffing in the 
air for a scent of the enemy. No rifle was put in my 
hand. I looked back for an instant, and saw my 
Tokrooris faltering, about five yards behind me. I 
looked daggers at them, gnashing my teeth and shaking 
my fist. They saw the lion, and Taher Noor snatching 
a rifle from Hadji Ali, was just about to bring it, when 
Hassan, ashamed, ran forward—the lion disappeared at 
the same moment! Never was such a fine chance lost 
through the indecision of the gun-bearers! I made a 
vow never to carry a single-barrelled rifle again when 
hunting large game. If I had had my dear little 
Fletcher 24,1 should have nailed the lion to a certainty. 


416 


THE DYING LIONESS. 


[chap. XVI. 


However, there was not much time for reflection— 
where was the first lion ? Some remains of the 
buffalo lay upon my right, and I expected to find 
the lion, most probably crouching in the thorns 
somewhere near us. Having reloaded, I took one 
of my Reilly No. 10 rifles, and listened attentively 
for a sound. Presently I heard within a few yards a 
low growl. Taher Noor drew his sword, and, with 
his shield before him, he searched for the lion, while I 
crept forward towards the sound, which was again 
repeated. A loud roar, accompanied by a rush in the 
jungle, showed us a glimpse of the lion, as he bounded 
off within ten or twelve yards; but 1 had no chance 
to fire. Again the low growl was repeated, and upon 
quietly creeping towards the spot, I saw a splendid 
animal crouched upon the ground among the withered 
and broken grass. The lioness lay dying, with the 
bullet wound in the shoulder. Occasionally, in her 
rage, she bit her own paw violently, and then struck and 
clawed the ground. A pool of blood lay by her side. She 
was about ten yards from us, and T instructed my men 
to throw a clod of earth at her (there were no stones), 
to prove whether she could rise, while I stood ready 
with the rifle. She merely replied with a dull roar, 
and I terminated her misery by a ball through the 
head. She was a beautiful animal ; the patch of the 
bullet was sticking in the wound; she was shot 
through both shoulders, and as we were not far from 
the tent, I determined to have her brought to camp 
upon a camel as an offering to my wife. Accordingly 


THE DYING LIONESS. Seepage 416. 











































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































ciiap. xvi.] BROUGHT INTO CAMP. 41/ 

I left my Tokrooris, while I went with Taher Noor to 
fetch a camel. 

On our road through the thick jungle, I was startled 
by a rush close to me : for the moment I thought it 
was a lion, but almost at the same instant I saw a 
fine nellut dashing away before me, and I killed it 
immediately with a bullet through the back of the 
neck. This was great luck, and we now required two 
camels, as in two shots I had killed a lioness and a 
nellut (A. Strepsiceros). 

We remained for some time at our delightful camp 
at Delladilla. Every day, from sunrise to sunset, I was 
either on foot or in the saddle, without rest, except 
upon Sundays, which I generally passed at home, 
with the relaxation of fishing in the beautiful river 
Settite. There was an immense quantity of large 
game, and I had made a mixed bag of elephants, 
hippopotami, buffaloes, rhinoceros, giraffes, and great 
numbers of the large antelopes. Lions, although 
numerous, were exceedingly difficult to bag; there 
was no chance but the extreme risk of creeping 
through the thickest jungle. Upon two or three 
occasions I had shot them by crawling into their 
very dens, where they had dragged their prey ; and 
I must acknowledge that they were much more 
frightened of me than I was of them. I had 
generally obtained a most difficult and. unsatis¬ 
factory shot at close quarters; sometimes I rolled 
them over with a mortal wound, and they dis¬ 
appeared to die in impenetrable jungle; but at all 


E E 


418 DIFFICULTY IN TRACKING THE LIONS, [chap. xvi. 

times fortune was on my side. On moonlight nights 
I generally lay in wait for these animals with great 
patience; sometimes I shot hippopotami, and used a 
hind-quarter as a bait for lions, while I watched in 
ambush at about twenty yards distance; but the 
hyaenas generally appeared like evil spirits, and 
dragged away the bait before the lions had a chance. 
I never fired at these scavengers, as they are most 
useful creatures, and are contemptible as game. My 
Arabs had made their fortune, as I had given them all 
the meat of the various animals, which they dried and 
transported to Geera, together with fat, hides, &c. It 
would be wearying to enumerate the happy hunting- 
days passed throughout this country. We were never 
ill for a moment: although the thermometer was 
seldom below 88° during the day, the country was 
healthy, as it was intensely dry, and therefore free 
from malaria : at night the thermometer averaged 
70°, which was a delightful temperature for those 
who exist in the open air. 

As our camp was full of meat, either dried or in 
the process of drying in festoons upon the trees, we 
had been a great attraction to the beasts of prey, 
who constantly prowled around our thorn fence 
during the night. One night in particular, a lion 
attempted to enter, but had been repulsed by the 
Tokrooris, who pelted him with firebrands; my 
people woke me up and begged me to shoot him, 
but as it was perfectly impossible to fire correctly 
through the hedge of thorns, I refused to be dis- 


CHAP. XVI.] 


THE LION VISITS OUR CAMP. 


419 


turbed, but I promised to limit for him on the 
following day. Throughout the entire night the 
lion prowled around the camp, growling and utter¬ 
ing his peculiar guttural sigh. Not one of my 
people slept, as they declared he would bound into 
the camp and take somebody, unless they kept up 
the watch-fires and drove him away with brands. 
The next day, before sunrise, I called Hassan and 
Hadji Ali, whom I lectured severely upon their 
cowardice on a former occasion, and I received their 
promise to follow me to death. I entrusted them 
with my two Keillys No. 10 ; and with my little 
Fletcher in hand, I determined to spend the whole 
day in searching every thicket of the forest for 
lions, as I felt convinced that the animal that 
had disturbed us during the night, was concealed 
somewhere within the neighbouring jungle. 

The whole day passed fruitlessly; I had crept 
through the thickest thorns in vain ; having 
abundance of meat, I had refused the most tempting 
shots at buffaloes and large antelopes, as I had 
devoted myself exclusively to lions. I was much 
disappointed, as the evening had arrived without a 
shot having been fired, and as the sun had nearly 
set, I wandered slowly towards home. Passing 
through alternate open glades of a few yards width, 
hemmed in on all sides by thick jungle, I was 
carelessly carrying my rifle upon my shoulder, as 
I pushed my way through the opposing thorns, when 
a sudden roar, just before me, at once brought the 
E E 2 


420 


VIS A FIS WITH A LION. 


[chap, xvi* 


rifle upon full cock, and I saw a magnificent lion 
standing in the middle of the glade, about ten yards 
from me : he had been lying on the ground, and had 
started to his feet upon hearing me approach through 
the jungle. For an instant he stood in an attitude 
of attention, as we were hardly visible ; but at the 
same moment I took a quick but sure shot with 
the little Fletcher. He gave a convulsive bound, 
but rolled over backwards : before he could recover 
himself, I fired the left-hand barrel. It was a glorious 
sight. I had advanced a few steps into the glade, and 
Hassan had quickly handed me a spare rifle, while 
Taher Noor stood by me sword in hand. The lion 
in the greatest fury, with his shaggy mane bristled 
in the air, roared with death-like growls, as open- 
mouthed he endeavoured to charge upon us; but he 
dragged his hind-quarters upon the ground, and I 
saw immediately that the little Fletcher had broken 
his spine. In his tremendous exertions to attack, 
he rolled over and over, gnashing his horrible jaws, 
and tearing holes in the sandy ground at each blow 
of his tremendous paws that would have crushed 
a man s skull like an egg-shell. Seeing that he was 
hors dc combat , I took it coolly, as it was already 
dusk, and the lion having rolled into a dark and 
thick bush, I thought it would be advisable to defer 
the final attack, as he would be dead before morning.. 
We were not ten minutes’ walk from the camp, at 
which we quickly arrived, and my men greatly 
rejoiced at the discomfiture of their enemy, as they 















































































































































































































































chap, xvi.] A SURPRISE. 421 

were convinced that he was the same lion that had 
attempted to enter the zareeba. 

On the following morning, before sunrise, I started 
with nearly all my people and a powerful camel, with 
the intention of bringing the lion home entire. I rode 
my horse Tetel, who had frequently shown great 
courage, and I wished to prove whether he would 
advance to the body of a lion. 

Upon arrival near the spot which we supposed to 
have been the scene of the encounter, we were rather 
puzzled, as there was nothing to distinguish the 
locality; one place exactly resembled another, as 
the country was flat and sandy, interspersed with 
thick jungle of green nabbuk ; we accordingly spread 
out to beat for the lion. Presently Hadji Ali cried 
out : “ There he lies, dead ! ” and I immediately rode 
to the spot, together with the people. A tremendous 
roar greeted us, as the lion started to his fore-feet, 
and with his beautiful mane erect, and his great 
hazel eyes flashing fire, he gave a succession of deep 
short roars, and challenged us to fight. This was 
a grand picture; he looked like a true lord of the 
forest, but I pitied the poor brute, as he was helpless, 
and although the spirit was game to the last, his 
strength was paralysed by a broken back. 

It was a glorious opportunity for the horse. At 
the first unexpected roar, the camel had bolted with 
its rider ; the horse had for a moment started on one 
side, and the men had scattered; but in an instant I 
had reined Tetel up, and I now rode straight towards 


4’22 TETEL FACES THE WOUNDED LION. [chap. xvi. 

the lion, who courted the encounter about twenty 
paces distant. I halted exactly opposite the noble 
looking beast, who, seeing me in advance of the 
party, increased his rage, and growled deeply, fixing 
his glance upon the horse. I now patted Tetel on the 
neck, and spoke to him coaxingly ; he gazed intently 
at the lion, erected his mane and snorted, but showed 
no signs of retreat. “ Bravo ! old boy ! ” I said, and 
encouraging him by caressing his neck with my hand, 

I touched his flank gently with my heel; I let him 
just feel my hand upon the rein, and with a ee Come 
along, old lad,” Tetel slowly, but resolutely advanced 
step by step towards the infuriated lion, that greeted 
him with continued growls. The horse several times 
snorted loudly, and stared fixedly at the terrible face 
before him; but as I constantly patted and coaxed 
him, he did not refuse to advance. I checked him 
when within about six yards from the lion. This 
would have made a magnificent picture, as the horse, 
with astounding courage, faced the lion at bay; both 
animals kept their eyes fixed upon each other, the 
one beaming with rage, the other with cool determi¬ 
nation. This was enough—I dropped the reins upon 
his neck; it was a signal that Tetel perfectly 
understood, and he stood firm as a rock, for he knew 
that I was about to fire. I took aim at the head of 
the glorious but distressed lion, and a bullet from the 
little Fletcher dropped him dead. Tetel never flinched 
at a shot. I now dismounted, and having patted and 
coaxed the horse, I led him up to the body of the 


chap, xvi.] )WONDERFUL COURAGE OF THE HORSE. 423 

lion, which I also patted, and then gave my hand to 
the horse to smell. He snorted once or twice, and as 
I released my hold of the reins, and left him entirely 
free, he slowly lowered his head, and sniffed the mane 
of the dead lion : he then turned a few paces upon 
one side, and commenced eating the withered grass 
beneath the nabbuk bushes. My Arabs were perfectly 
delighted with this extraordinary instance of courage- 
exhibited by the horse. I had known that the beast 
was disabled, but Tetel had advanced boldly towards 
the angry jaws of a lion that appeared about to spring. 
The camel was now brought to the spot and blind¬ 
folded, while we endeavoured to secure the lion upon 
its back. As the camel knelt, it required the united 
exertions of eight men, including myself, to raise 
the ponderous animal, and to secure it across the 
saddle. 

Although so active and cat-like in its movements, a 
full-grown lion weighs about five hundred and fifty 
pounds. Having secured it, we shortly arrived in 
camp; the coujp d’ccil was beautiful, as the camel 
entered the inclosure with the shaggy head and 
massive paws of the dead lion hanging upon one flank, 
while the tail nearly descended to the ground upon 
the opposite side. It was laid at full length before my 
wife, to whom the claws were dedicated as a trophy to 
be worn around the neck as a talisman. Not only are 
the claws prized by the Arabs, but the moustache of 
the lion is carefully preserved and sewn in a leather 
envelop, to be worn as an amulet; such a charm is 


42i 


LIONS' CLAWS WORN AS A CHARM. [chap. xvi. 


supposed to protect the wearer from the attacks of 
wild animals. 

In all probability, this was the lion that was in the 
habit of visiting our camp, as from that date, although 
the roars of such animals were our nightly music, we 
were never afterwards visited so closely. 

As game was plentiful, the lions were exceedingly 
fat, and we preserved a large quantity of this for our 
lamps. When it was boiled down it was well adapted 
for burning, as it remained nearly liquid. 

We had a large supply of various kinds of fat, 
including that of elephants, hippopotami, lions, and 
rhinoceros; but our stock of soap was exhausted, 
therefore I determined to convert a quantity of our 
grease into that very necessary article. 

Soap-boiling is not so easy as may be imagined; it 
requires not only much attention, but the quality is 
dependent upon the proper mixture of the alkalis. 
Sixty parts of potash and forty of lime are, I believe, 
the proportions for common soap. I had neither lime 
nor potash, but I shortly procured both. The hegleek- 
tree {Balanites Egyptiaca) was extremely rich in 
potash; therefore I burned a large quantity, and made 
a strong ley with the ashes ; this I concentrated by 
boiling. There was no lime-stone ; but the river pro¬ 
duced a plentiful supply of large oyster-shells, that, if 
burned, would yield excellent lime. Accordingly I 
constructed a kiln, with the assistance of the white 
ants. The country was infested with these creatures, 
which had erected their dwellings in all directions ; 


chap. XVI.] WE COMMENCE SOJP BOILING. 4*25 

these were cones from six to ten feet high, formed of 
clay so thoroughly cemented by a glutinous prepara¬ 
tion of the insects, that it was harder than sun-baked 
brick. I selected an egg-shaped hill, and cut off the 
top, exactly as we take off the slice from an egg. 
My Tokrooris then worked hard, and with a hoe and 
their lances, they hollowed it out to the base, in spite 
of the attacks of the ants, which punished the legs 
of the intruders considerably. I now made a draught- 
hole from the outside base, at right-angles with the 
bottom, of the hollow cone. My kiln was perfect. I 
loaded it with wood, upon which 1 piled about six 
bushels of oyster-shells, which I then covered with 
fuel, and kept it burning for twentjMour hours. This 
produced excellent lime, and I commenced my soap¬ 
boiling. We possessed an immense copper pot of 
Egyptian manufacture, in addition to a large and 
deep copper basin called a “teshti.” These would 
contain about ten gallons. The ley having been 
boiled down to great strength, I added a quantity 
of lime, and the necessary fat. It required ten hours 
boiling, combined with careful management of the 
fire, as it would frequently ascend like foam, and 
overflow the edge of the utensils. However, at length, 
having been constantly stirred, it turned to soap. 
Before it became cold, I formed it into cakes and balls 
with my hands, and the result of the manufacture 
was a weight of about forty pounds of most excellent 
soap, of a very sporting description, “ Savon d la bete 
feroce.” We thus washed with rhinoceros soap ; our 


426 


SAVON A LA BKTE FEROOE 


[chap. XVI. 


lamp was trimmed with oil of lions; our butter for 
cooking purposes was the fat of hippopotami, while 
our pomade was made from the marrow of buffaloes 
and antelopes, scented with the blossoms of mimosas. 
We were entirely independent, as our whole party had 
subsisted upon the produce of the rod and the rifle. 

We were now destined to be deprived of two 
members of the party. Mahomet had become simply 
unbearable, and he was so impertinent that I was 
obliged to take a thin cane from one of the Arabs 
and administer a little physical advice. An evil 
spirit possessed the man, and he bolted off with some 
of the camel men who were returning to Geera with 
dried meat.* 

Our great loss was Barrake. She had persisted in 
eating the fruit of the hegleek, although she had 

* Some months afterwards lie found liis way to Khartoum, where 
he was imprisoned by the Governor for having deserted. He sub¬ 
sequently engaged himself as a soldier in a slave-hunting expedi¬ 
tion on the White Kile; and some years later, on our return 
from the Albert K’yanza we met him in Shooa on 3° north lati¬ 
tude. He had repented—hardships and discipline had effected a 
change—and like the prodigal son, he returned. I forgave him, 
and took him with us to Khartoum, where we left him a sadder 
but a wiser man. He had met many near relations during his 
long journey, all of whom had stolen some souvenir of their cousin, 
and left him almost naked. He also met Achmet his “ mother’s 
brother’s cousin’s sister’s mother’s son,” who turned up after some 
years at Gondokoro as a slave-hunter ; he had joined an expedition, 
and like all other blackguards, he had chosen the White Kile 
regions for his career. He was the proprietor of twenty slaves, he 
had assisted in the murder of a number of unfortunate negroes, and 
he was a prosperous and respectable individual. 


CHAP. XVI.] WE BURY POOR BARR ARE 42 / 

suffered from dysentery upon several occasions. She 
was at length attacked with congestion of the liver. 
My wife took the greatest care of her, and for weeks 
she had given her the entire produce of the goats, 
hoping that milk would keep up her strength; but 
she died after great suffering, and we buried the poor 
creature, and moved our camp. 


CHAPTER XVIT. 

WE REACH THE ROY AN. 

Haying explored the Settite into the gorge of the 
mountain chain of Abyssinia, we now turned due 
south from our camp of Delladilla, and at a distance 
of twelve miles we reached the river Roy an. The 
intervening country was the high and flat table-land 
of rich soil, that characterises the course of the Settite 
and Atbara rivers ; this land was covered with hegleek 
trees of considerable size, and the descent to the 
Royan was through a valley, torn and washed by the 
rains, similar in appearance to that of the Settite, but 
upon a small scale, as the entire width did not exceed 
a mile. 

Descending the rugged ground, we arrived at the 
margin of the river. At this season (February) the 
bed was perfectly dry sand, about ninety yards from 
bank to bank, and the high-water mark upon the 
perpendicular sides was a little above nine feet deep. 
The inclination was extremely rapid : thus the Royan 
during the rainy season must be a most frightful 
torrent, that supplies a large body of water to the 


ciiAr. xvii.] 


IlOli MAI GUBBA. 


429 


Settite, but which runs dry almost immediately upon 
the cessation of the rains. 

We descended the bank in a spot that had been 
broken down by elephants, and continued our course 
up stream along the sandy bed, which formed an 
excellent road. The surface was imprinted with the 
footsteps of every variety of game, and numerous 
holes about two feet deep had been dug in the sand 
by the antelopes and baboons to procure water. Great 
numbers of the oterop, a small reddish-brown antelope 
without horns (Calotragus Mont anus) were drinking 
at these little watering-places, and did not appear to 
heed us. We disturbed many nellut and tetel upon 
the banks, and after having marched about four miles 
along the river’s bed, we halted at a beautiful open 
forest of large trees at the junction of Hor Mai 
Gubba. This was a considerable torrent, which is 
tributary to the Royan; at this spot it had cut 
through a white sandstone cliff, about eighty feet 
perpendicular : thus upon either side it was walled in. 
The word Gubba is Abyssinian for the Nabbuk, there¬ 
fore the torrent was the Nabbuk river: this flowed 
past the village of Mai Gubba, which is the head¬ 
quarters of Mek Nimmur, from which we were not 
twenty-five miles distant. We camped in a forest 
of the largest trees that we had as yet seen in Africa, 
and as we had observed the fresh tracks of horses on 
the sand, some of my Arabs went in search of the 
aggageers of Taher Sherrif s party whom they had ex¬ 
pected to meet at this point. While they were gone, 


430 


THE FRANCOLIN PARTRIDGE. [chap. xvii. 


I took a few men to beat the low jungle within the 
forest, for francolin partridge, numbers of which I 
had seen running through the covert. I went up 
the dry bed of the river at the junction of the Hor 
Gubba, while they drove towards me, and I was 
compelled to fire as fast as I could load, as these 
beautiful birds flew across the ravine. I shot five 
brace almost immediately. There is no better game 
bird than the francolin : the flesh is white, and of a 
most delicate and rich flavour. My shots had 
attracted the aggageers, and shortly after my return 
to camp they arrived with my Arabs, as they had been 
stationed on the opposite side of the Boyan in a. forest 
within a quarter of a mile of us. Taher Sherrif was 
delighted to see us free from the company of Abou 
Do. His party had killed several elephants, and had 
captured two young ones; also, two young rhinoceros, 
three giraffes, and several young antelopes : these were 
to be sold to Johann Schmidt, who had contracted to 
supply the Italian agent at Cassala. I agreed to have a 
long day’s hunt with Taher Sherrif; we were to start 
before sunrise, as he wished to ride to a spot about 
twenty-five miles distant, up the course of the Boyan 
that was a favourite resort for elephants. 

That evening we had a delicious dinner of francolin 
partridges. This species is rather larger than the 
French partridge: it is dark brown, mottled with black 
feathers, with a red mark around the eye, and double 
spurs. 

There was a small but deep pool of water in the 


ciiAr. xvii.] 


WE WATCH FOR GAME. 


431 


bed of the river, beneath the high bank about two 
hundred paces from our camp ; this was a mere hole 
of about twenty feet square, and I expected that 
large game might come to drink during the night. 
Accordingly, I determined to watch for elephants, as 
their tracks were numerous throughout the bed of 
the river. My wife and two gun-bearers accompanied 
me, and we sat behind an immense tree that grew 
on the hank, exactly above the drinking place. I 
watched for hours, until I fell asleep, as did my men 
likewise : my wife alone was awake, and a sudden 
tug at my sleeve attracted my attention. The moon 
was bright, and she had heard a noise upon the 
branches of the tree above us : there were no leaves, 
therefore I quickly observed some large animal upon 
a thick bough. My Tokrooris had awoke, and they 
declared it to be a baboon. I knew this to be im¬ 
possible, as the baboon is never solitary, and I was 
just preparing to fire, when down jumped a large 
leopard within a few feet of us, and vanished before 
I had time to shoot. It must have winded our 
party, and quietly ascended the tree to reconnoitre. 
Nothing but liysenas came to the pool, therefore we 
returned to camp. 

According to my agreement, I went to the agga- 
geers’ camp at 5 a.m., with Hadji Ali and Hassan, 
both mounted on my two horses, Aggahr and Gazelle, 
while I rode Tetel. Taher Sherrif requested me not 
to shoot at anything, as the shots might alarm and 
scare away elephants; therefore I merely carried my 


432 


OUT WITH THE AGGAGEEliS. 


[chai\ XVII. 


little Fletcher, in case of meeting the Base, who 
hunted in this country. The aggageers mounted their 
horses; each man carried an empty water-skin slung 
to his saddle, to be filled at the river should it be 
necessary to quit its banks. We started along the 
upward course of the Royan. 

For seven hours we rode, sometimes along the 
bed of the river between lofty overhanging rocks, or 
through borders of fine forest-trees; at other times 
we cut off a bend of the stream, and rode for some 
miles through beautiful country diversified with hills, 
and abounding in enormous baobab-trees (Adansonia 
digitata). At length we entered the mountains at 
the foot of the great chain. Here the views were 
superb. The Royan was no longer a stream of 
ninety or a hundred yards in width, but it was re¬ 
duced to a simple mountain torrent about forty yards 
across, blocked in many places by masses of rock, 
while at others it had formed broad pools, all of which 
were now perfectly dry, and exhibited a bed of glaring 
sand. Numerous mountain ravines joined the main 
channel, and as the inclination was extremely rapid, 
there could be little doubt that the violent storms of 
the rainy reason, descending from the great chain of 
mountains, would, by concentrating in the Royan, 
suddenly give birth to an impetuous torrent, that 
would materially affect the volume of the Settite. 
The entire country bore witness to the effect of violent 
rains, as tbe surface was torn and water-worn. 

We had ridden nearly thirty miles, having seen 


chap, xvn.] THE BANKS OF THE ROY AN. 433 

large quantities of game, including antelopes, buffa¬ 
loes, giraffes, and rhinoceros, none of which we had 
hunted, as we were in search of elephants. This 
was the country where the aggageers had expected, 
without fail, to find their game. 

They now turned away from the Royan, and de¬ 
scended a sandy valley at the foot of the mountains, 
the bottom of which appeared to have been overflowed 
during the wet season. Here were large strips of 
forest, and numerous sandy watercourses, along the 
dry bed of which we quickly discovered the deep 
tracks of elephants. They had been digging fresh 
holes in the sand in search of water, in which welcome 
basins we found a good supply; we dismounted, 
and rested the horses for half an hour, while the 
hunters followed up the tracks on the bed of the 
stream. Upon their return, they reported the ele¬ 
phants as having wandered off upon the rocky ground, 
that rendered further tracking impossible. We ac¬ 
cordingly remounted, and, upon arrival at the spot 
where they had lost the tracks, we continued along 
the bed of the stream. We had ridden about a mile, 
and were beginning to despair, when suddenly we 
turned a sharp angle in the watercourse, and Taher 
Sherrif, who was leading, immediately reined in his 
horse, and backed him towards the party. I followed 
his example, and we were at once concealed by the 
sharp bend of the river. He now whispered, that a 
bull elephant was drinking from a hole it had scooped 
in the sand, not far round the corner. Without the 


F F 


434 


WE FINE A BULL ELEPHANT. [chap. xvii. 


slightest confusion, the hunters at once fell quietly 
into their respective places, Taher Sherrif leading, 
while I followed closely in the line, with my Tokrooris 
bringing up the rear; we were a party of seven 
horses. 

Upon turning the corner, we at once perceived the 
elephant, that was still drinking. It was a fine bull; 
the enormous ears were thrown forward, as the head 
was lowered in the act of drawing up the water 
through the trunk; these shaded the eyes, and, with 
the wind favourable, we advanced noiselessly upon 
the sand to within twenty yards before we were per¬ 
ceived. The elephant then threw up its head, and, 
with the ears flapping forward, it raised its trunk 
for an instant, and then slowly, but easily, ascended 
the steep bank, and retreated. The aggageers now 
halted for about a minute to confer together, and 
then followed in their original order up the crumbled 
bank. We were now on most unfavourable ground; 
the fire that had cleared the country we had hitherto 
traversed had been stopped by the bed of the torrent. 
We were thus plunged at once into withered grass 
above our heads, unless we stood in the stirrups; the 
ground was strewed with fragments of rock, and alto¬ 
gether it was ill-adapted for riding. However, Taher 
Sherrif broke into a trot, followed by the entire party, 
as the elephant was not in sight. We ascended a hill, 
and when near the summit, we perceived the elephant 
about eighty yards ahead. It was looking behind 
during its retreat, by swinging its huge head from 


CHAP. XVII.] 


IIEL TER SKELTER. 


435 


side to side, and upon seeing us approach, it turned 
suddenly round and halted. “ Be ready, and take 
eare of the rocks!” said Taher Sherrif, as I rode for¬ 
ward by his side. Hardly had he uttered these words 
of caution, when the bull gave a vicious jerk with 
its head, and with a shrill scream it charged down 
upon us with the greatest fury. Away we all went, 
lielter shelter, through the dry grass, which whistled 
in my ears, over the hidden rocks, at full gallop, 
with the elephant tearing after us for about a hundred 
and eighty yards at a tremendous pace. Tetel was a 
sure-footed horse, and, being unshod, he never slipped 
upon the stones. Thus, as we all scattered in different 
directions, the elephant became confused, and relin¬ 
quished the chase; it had been very near me at one 
time, and in such ground I was not sorry when 
it gave up the hunt. We now quickly united, and 
again followed the elephant, that had once more re¬ 
treated. Advancing at a canter, we shortly came in 
view. Upon seeing the horses, the bull deliberately 
•entered a stronghold composed of rocky and uneven 
ground, in the clefts of which, grew thinly a few 
leafless trees, the thickness of a mans leg. It then 
turned boldly towards us, and stood determinedly at 
bay. 

Now came the tug of war! Taher Sherrif came 
close to me and said, “You had better shoot the 
elephant, as we shall have great difficulty in this 
rocky ground : ” this I declined, as I wished to end 
the fight as it had been commence I, with the sword ; 

F F 2 


436 


THE ELEPHANT AT BAY. 


[chap, xvii 


and I proposed that lie should endeavour to drive the 
animal to more favourable ground. “ Never mind,” 
replied Taher, “ Inshallah (please God) he shall not 
beat us.” He now advised me to keep as close to him 
as possible, and to look sharp for a charge. 

The elephant stood facing us like a statue; it did 
not move a muscle beyond a quick and restless action 
of the eyes, that were watching all sides. Taher 
Sherrif and his youngest brother Ibrahim now 
separated, and each took opposite sides of the 
elephant, and then joined each other about twenty 
yards behind it; I accompanied them, until Taher 
advised me to keep about the same distance upon the 
left flank. My Tokrooris kept apart from the scene, 
as they were not required. In front of the elephant 
were two aggageers, one of whom was the renowned 
Eodur Sherrif, with the withered arm. All being 
ready for action, Rodur now rode slowly towards the 
head of the cunning old bull, who was quietly 
awaiting an opportunity to make certain of some one 
who might give him a good chance. 

Rodur Sherrif rode a bay mare, that, having been 
thoroughly trained to these encounters, was perfect at 
her work. Slowly and coolly she advanced towards 
her wary antagonist, until within about eight or nine- 
yards of the elephant’s head; the creature never 
moved, and the mise en scdne was beautiful; not a 
word was spoken, and we kept our places amidst 
utter stillness, which was at length broken by 
a snort from the mare, who gazed intently at 


chap, xvii.] RODUR WITH THE WITHERED ARM. 43 7 

the elephant, as though watching for the moment of 
attack. 

One more pace forward, and Eodur sat coolly upon 
liis mare, with his eyes fixed upon those of the 
elephant. For an instant I saw the white of the eye 
nearest to me ; “ Look out, Rodur ! he’s coming ! ” 
I exclaimed. With a shrill scream, the elephant 
dashed upon him like an avalanche! 

Round went the mare as though upon a pivot, and 
away over rocks and stones, flying like a gazelle, with 
the monkey-like form of little Rodur Sherrif leaning 
forward, and looking over his left shoulder as the 
elephant rushed after him. 

For a moment I thought he must be caught. Had 
the mare stumbled, all were lost; but she gained in 
the race after a few quick bounding strides, and 
Rodur, still looking behind him, kept his distance so 
close to the elephant, that its outstretched trunk was 
within a few feet of the mare’s tail. 

Taher Sherrif and his brother Ibrahim swept down 
like falcons in the rear. In full speed they dexter¬ 
ously avoided the trees, until they arrived upon open 
ground, when they dashed up close to the hind¬ 
quarters of the furious elephant, who, maddened with 
the excitement, heeded nothing but Rodur and his 
mare, that were almost within its grasp. When close 
to the tail of the elephant, Taher Sherrif’s sword 
flashed from its sheath, as grasping his trusty blade he 
leapt nimbly to the ground, while Ibrahim caught the 
reins of his horse; two or three bounds on foot, with 


438 


THE SWORD WINS THE DAY. 


[chap. XVII. 


the sword clutched in both hands, and he was close 
behind the elephant; a bright glance shone like 
lightning, as the sun struck upon the descending 
steel; this was followed by a dull crack, as the sword 
cut through skin and sinews, and settled deep in the 
bone, about twelve inches above the foot. At the 
next stride, the elephant halted dead short in the 
midst of its tremendous charge. Taher had jumped 
quickly on one side, and had vaulted into the saddle 
with his naked sword in hand. At the same moment, 
Kodur, who had led the chase, turned sharp round, 
and again faced the elephant as before; stooping 
quickly from the saddle, he picked up from the 
ground a handful of dirt, which he threw into the face 
of the vicious-looking animal, that once more attempted 
to rush upon him. It was impossible ! the foot was 
dislocated, and turned up in front like an old shoe. 
In an instant Taher was once more on foot, and again 
the sharp sword slashed the remaining leg. The 
great bull elephant could not move! the first cut 
with the sword had utterly disabled it; the second 
was its death blow ; the arteries of the leg were 
divided, and the blood spouted in jets from the 
wounds. I wished to terminate its misery by a 
bullet behind the ear, but Taher Sherrif begged me 
not to fire, as the elephant would quickly bleed to 
death without pain, and an unnecessary shot might 
attract the Base, who would steal the flesh and ivory 
during our absence. We were obliged to return 
immediately to our far distant camp, and the hunters 






























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































chap, xvii.] THE NIMBLE BASE DINE CHEAPLY. 439 

resolved to accompany their camels to the spot upon 
the following day. We turned our horses’ heads, and 
rode direct towards home, which we did not reach 
until nearly midnight, having ridden upwards of sixty 
miles during the day. 

The hunting of Taher Sherrif and his brothers 
was superlatively beautiful; with an immense amount 
of dash, there was a cool, sportsman-like manner in 
their mode of attack, that far excelled the impetu¬ 
ous and reckless onset of Abou Do ; it was difficult 
to decide which to admire the most, whether the 
coolness and courage of him who led the elephant, 
or the extraordinary skill and activity of the aggahr 
who dealt the fatal blow. 

On the following day, the hunters started to the 
dead elephant with camels and sacks, but they re¬ 
turned at night thoroughly disgusted; the nimble 
Base had been before them, most probably attracted 
to the carcase by the cloud of vultures that had 
gathered in the air. Nothing remained but the 
bones and skull of the elephant, the flesh and the 
ivory had been stolen. The tracks of a great num¬ 
ber of men w r ere left upon the ground, and the 
aggageers were fortunate to return without an at¬ 
tack from overwhelming numbers. 

After hunting and exploring for some days in 
this neighbourhood, I determined to follow the bed 
of the Boy an to its junction with the Settite. We 
started at daybreak, and after a long march along 
the sandy bed, hemmed in by high banks, or by 


440 THE GREAT WHIRLPOOL. [chap. xvir. 

precipitous cliffs of sandstone, we arrived at tlie 
junction ; this was a curious and frightful spot 
during the rainy season. The entire course of the 
Royan was extremely rapid, but at this extremity, 
it entered a rocky pass between two hills, and leapt 
in a succession of grand falls into a circular basin 
of about four hundred yards diameter. This pecu¬ 
liar basin was surrounded by high cliffs, covered 
with trees; to the left was an island formed by a 
rock about sixty feet high; at the foot was a deep 
and narrow gorge through which the Settite river 
made its exit from the circle. This large river en¬ 
tered the basin through a rocky gap, at right angles 
with the rush of water from the great falls of the 
Royan, and as both streams issued from gorges 
which accelerated their velocity to the highest de¬ 
gree, their junction formed a tremendous whirlpool: 
thus, the basin which was now dry, with the excep¬ 
tion of the single contracted stream of the Settite, 
was in the rainy season a most frightful scene of 
giddy waters. The sides of this basin were, for 
about fifty feet from the bottom, sheeted with white 
sand that had been left there by the centrifugal 
force of the revolving waters; the funnel-shaped re¬ 
servoir had its greatest depth beneath the mass of 
rock that formed a barrier before the mouth of the 
exit. From the appearance of the high-water mark 
upon the rock, it was easy to ascertain the approx¬ 
imate depth when the flood was at its maximum. 
We pitched our camp on the slope above the basin, 


WHIRLPOOL AT THE ROYAN JUNCTION. See page 440. 






















































chap, xvii] THE ROY AN JUNCTION WITH THE SETTITE. 441 

and for several days I explored the bed of the river, 
which was exceedingly interesting at this dry season, 
when all the secrets of its depths were exposed. 
In many places, the rocks that choked its bed for 
a depth of thirty and forty feet in the narrow 
passes, had been worked into caverns by the constant 
attrition of the rolling pebbles. In one portion of 
the river, the bottom was almost smooth, as though 
it had been paved with flagstones ; this was formed 
by a calcareous sediment from the water, which had 
hardened into stone; in some places this natural 
pavement had been broken up into large slabs by 
the force of the current, where it had been under¬ 
mined. This cement appeared to be the same that 
had formed the banks of conglomerate, which in 
some places walled in the river for a depth of ten 
or fifteen feet, with a concrete of rounded pebbles of 
all sizes, from a nutmeg to a thirty-two pound shot. 

I fired the grass on the west bank of the Royan, 
and the blaze extended with such rapidity, that in 
a few hours many miles of country were entirely 
cleared. On the following morning, the country looked 
as though covered with a pall of black velvet. 

To my astonishment there were the fresh tracks 
of a rhinoceros within a quarter of a mile of the 
camp: this animal must have concealed itself in 
the bed of the Royan during the fire, and had 
wandered forth when it had passed. I followed 
up the tracks with Bacheet and two of my Tokrooris. 
In less than half a mile from the spot, I found it 


442 A BULL RHINOCEROS. [chap, xvii. 

lying down behind a bush, and, creeping under cover 
of an ant-bill, I shot it through the shoulder with 
a Beilly No. 10; it immediately galloped off, but 
after run of a couple of hundred yards it laid down 
on the edge of thick thorny jungle that bordered 
the margin of the Boy an. I waited, in the expec¬ 
tation that it would shortly die, but it suddenly 
rose, and walked slowly into the thorns. Determined 
to cut off its retreat, I pushed through the bushes, 
intending to reach the dry bed of the Boyan and 
shoot the rhinoceros as it crossed from the narrow 
belt of jungle, into which it had retreated ; but I 
had hardly reached half w r ay, when I heard a sound 
in the bush upon my right, and I saw the wounded 
beast coming straight for our position, but evidently 
unconscious of our presence, as we were to leeward. 
I immediately crouched down, as did my men like¬ 
wise, lest the animal should observe us. Slowly, but 
surely, it came on exactly towards us, until it was 
at last so near as to be unpleasant: I looked behind 
me, and I saw by the expression of my men that 
they were thinking of retreat. I merely shook my 
fist and frowned at them to give them confidence, 
and I waited patiently for my opportunity. It w^as 
becoming too ridiculous; the rhinoceros was within 
five or six yards, and w^as slowly but steadily ad¬ 
vancing direct upon us. At the next step that he 
made, I raised my rifle gently to my shoulder, and 
whistled sharply: in an instant it tossed its head 
up, and seeing nothing in front, as my clothes 


CHAP. XVII.] 


BACHEET HAS TO RUN. 


443 


matched with the leafless bushes, it turned its head 
to the left, and I immediately pulled the trigger. 
It fell as though smitten by a sledge hammer, and 
it lay struggling on the ground. Bacheet sprang 
forward, and with an Arab sword he cut the ham¬ 
string of one leg. To the astonishment of us all, 
the rhinoceros jumped up, and on three legs it sprang 
quickly round and charged Bacheet, who skipped 
into the bushes, while I ran alongside the rhinoceros 

as it attempted to follow him, and, with the Fletcher 

* 

No. 24, I fired through the shoulder, by placing 
the muzzle within a yard of the animal. It fell 
dead to this shot, which was another feather in the 
cap of the good little rifle. The skull of the rhino¬ 
ceros is very curiously shaped; I had fired for the 
temple, and had struck the exact point at which 
I had aimed, but, instead of hitting the brain, the 
bullet had smashed the joint of the jaw, in which 
it stuck fast. I never have been able to understand 
why that powerful rifle was thus baffled, unless there 
had been some error in the charge of powder. This 
rhinoceros had no ears, they had been bitten off 
close to the head by another of the same species, 
while fighting; this mutilation is by no means 
uncommon. 

From this point I traversed the country in all 
directions; upon one occasion I took a large supply 
of water, and penetrated into the very heart of the 
Base, half way between the Settite and the river 
Gash or Mareb, near the base of the mountain chain; 


414 EGYPTIANS INVADED NIMMUR S COUNTRY, chap. [xvii. 

but, although the redoubtable natives were occasion¬ 
ally seen, they were as shy as wild animals, and 
we could not approach them. 

Having explored the entire country, and enjoyed 
myself thoroughly, I was now determined to pay our 
promised visit to Mek Nimmur. Since our departure 
from the Egyptian territory, his country had been 
invaded by a large force, according to orders sent 
from the Governor-General of the Soudan. Mek 
Nimmur as usual retreated to the mountains, but 
Mai Gubba and a number of his villages were utterly 
destroyed by the Egyptians. He would, under these 
circumstances, be doubly suspicious of strangers. 

My camel-men had constantly brought me the 
news on their return from Geera with corn,* and they 
considered that it was unsafe to visit Mek Nimmur 
after his defeat, as he might believe me to be a spy 
from the Egyptians; he was a great friend of 
Theodorus, the King of Abyssinia, and as at that 
time he was on good terms with the English, I 
saw no reason to avoid his country. 

We arrived at Ombrega, but, instead of camping 
among the thick jungle as formerly, we bivouacked 
under four splendid tamarind trees that formed a 
clumj} among the rocks on the left bank of the river, 
and which shaded a portion of its sandy bed ; this 
was a delightful resting-place. We were now only 

* Among other news, I was glad to hear that my patient Jali 
could walk without difficulty. 


CHAP. XVII.] OUR ARABS DECLINE TO PROCEED. 445 

one day from Geera, and we sent a messenger to the 
sheik of the Hamrans, who shortly returned with a 
young girl of about seventeen as a corn-grinder in the 
place of Barrake; she was hired from her owner at 
a dollar per month. 

My camel-men had determined not to proceed to 
Mek Nimmurs country, as they feared that their 
camels might be stolen by his people; they therefore 
came to me one evening, and coolly declared that they 
should return to Geera, as it would be folly to tempt 
Mek Nimmur. It was in vain that I protested, and 
reminded them that I had engaged them to accom¬ 
pany me throughout the exploration. They were afraid 
of losing their camels, and nothing would satisfy them ; 
they declared that they required no wages, as the meat 
and hide &c. they had received were sufficient for their 
services, but through Mek Nimmur’s country they 
were determined not to go. Taher Noor was the only 
man who was willing, but he had no camel. We had 
constructed a fence of thorns around our camp, in 
which the camels were now reposing, and, as the argu¬ 
ment had become hot, the Arabs expressed their deter¬ 
mination of starting homewards that very instant, and 
we were to be left alone, unless they could persuade 
other men of their tribe to join us with their animals. 
Accordingly, they at once proceeded to saddle their 
camels for an immediate start. Without saying an¬ 
other word, I quietly took my little Fletcher rifle, and 
cocked both barrels as I sat within ten yards of the 
exit from the camp. The men were just ready to 


446 OBLIGED TO THREATEN THE CAMELS. [chap. xvii. 

depart, and several had mounted tlieir camels. “ Good 
bye,” I said; “ give my salaams to the sheik when 
you arrive at Geera; but the first camel that passes 
the gate of the zareeba (camp) I shall shoot through 
the head.” They had heard the sharp click of the 
locks, and they remembered the firing of the grass on a 
former occasion when I had nearly burnt the camp ;— 
not a camel moved. My Tokrooris and Taher Noor 
now came forward as mediators, and begged me not 
to shoot the camels. As I had the rifle pointed, I 
replied to this demand conditionally, that the Arabs 
should dismount and unsaddle immediately : this led 
to a parley, and I agreed to become responsible for 
the value of the camels should they be stolen in Mek 
Nimmur’s country. The affair was settled. 

On March 16th, the day following this argument, as 
we were sitting in the evening beneath our trees in 
the rivers bed, I suddenly heard the rattle of loose 
stones, and immediately after, a man on a white hygeen 
appeared from the jungle on our side of the river, 
followed quickly by a string of Arabs, all well mounted, 
who silently followed in single file towards the ford. 
They had not noticed us, as we were close to the high 
rocky bank upon their left, in the deep shade of the 
tamarind trees. I counted twenty-three ; their shields 
and swords were slung upon their liygeens, and, as 
their clothes were beautifully clean, they had evidently 
started that morning from their homes. 

The leader had reached the ford without observing 
us, as in this wild spot he had expected n?o one, and 


•CHAP. XVII.] 


TEE TROOP ON A FORAY. 


44 7 


the whole party were astonished and startled when I 
suddenly addressed them with a loud “ Salaam alei- 
kum” (peace be with you). At first they did not 
reply, but as I advanced alone, their leader also ad¬ 
vanced from his party, and we met half way. These 
were a troop of Mek Nimmur’s people on a foray. I 
•quickly explained who I was, and I invited him to 
come and drink coffee beneath the shade in our camp. 
Taher Noor now joined us, and confidence having been 
established, the leader ordered his party to cross the 
ford and to unsaddle on the opposite side of the river, 
while he accompanied me to our camp. At first he 
was rather suspicious, but a present of a new tarboosh 
(cap), and a few articles of trifling value, quickly reas¬ 
sured him, and he promised to be our guide to Mek 
Nimmur in about a couple of days, upon his return from 
a marauding expedition on the frontier; his party 
had appointed to unite with a stronger force, and to 
make a razzia upon the cattle of the Dabaina Arabs. 

During the night, the marauding party and their 
leader departed. 

There was no game at Ombrdga, therefore I em¬ 
ployed the interval of two days in cleaning all the 
rifles, and in preparing for a fresh expedition, as 
that of the Settite and Koyan had been completed. 
The short Tatham No. 10 rifle carried a heavy 
cylinder, instead of the original spherical ball. 1 
had only fired two shots with this rifle, and the 
recoil had been so tremendous, owing to the heavy 
weight of the projectile, that I had mistrusted the 


448 NARROW ESCAPE—THE RIFLE BURSTS, [chap. xvn. 

weapon; therefore, when the moment arrived to fire 
off all the guns preparatory to cleaning, my good 
angel whispered a providential warning, and I 
agreed to fire this particular rifle by a long fishing- 
line attached to the trigger, while the gun should 
be fastened to a tree. It blew all to pieces ! The 
locks were blown entirely away, and the stock was 
shattered into fragments: nothing remained but the 
thick end near the shoulder-plate. I had received 
a mysterious presentiment of this; had I fired that 
rifle in the usual manner, I must have been killed 
on the spot. The charge was five drachms, which 
was small in proportion to the weight of the 
cylindrical projectile. This may be a warning to 
such sportsmen who adapt new-fashioned projectiles 
to old-fashioned rifles, that were proved with the 
spherical bullet, which in weight and friction bears 
no proportion to the heavy cylinder; nevertheless, 
this rifle should not have burst, and the metal 
showed great inferiority, by blowing into fragments 
instead of splitting. 

The leader of Mek Nimmur s party returned, as 
he had promised, to be our guide. I extract from 
my journal, verbatim, my notes upon that date. 

“ March 19 , 1862 .—Started at 1.30 p.m., and halted 
at 5 p.m. There is no water for about thirty miles, 
thus we had watered all the animals at their usual hour 
(noon), and they will accordingly endure until to¬ 
morrow evening. Upon ascending the slope of the 
Settite valley, the country is an immense plain of 


CHAP. XVII.] WE MARCH FROM THE SETTITE. 


449 


fertile soil, about two hundred feet above the river. 
While on the march, I espied a camel wandering 
without an owner; this was immediately secured as 
a lawful prize by our guide. This fellow's name 
is Mahomet; he is, doubtlessly, an out-and-out 
scoundrel; he is about five feet ten inches in 
height, and as thin as a live man can be; he is 
so crafty-looking, and so wiry and eel-like, that if I 
were to lock him up I should secure the key-hole, 
as he looks capable of squeezing through anything. 
We slept on the plain. 

“March 20 .—Started at 5 a.m., and in three hours 
w T e reached the chain of lofty wooded hills that 
bound the plain. In a march of four hours from 
this point, we arrived at a hor, or ravine, when we 
halted beneath a large tamarind tree, and pitched 
the tent according to the instructions of our guide, 
The plain from the Settite to the base of the hilly 
range that we had crossed, is about twenty-two 
miles wide by forty in length, and like all the 
table-land in this country, it is well adapted for 
cotton cultivation. Were the route secure through 
the Base country, loaded camels might reach Cassala 
in six days, and from thence to Souakim. All this 
country is uninhabited. On arrival at the base of 
the first hill, a grove of tamarinds shades a spring, 
at which we watered our horses, but the water is 
impregnated with natron, which is common through¬ 
out this country, and appears in many places as 
an efflorescence on the surface of the ground. From 


G G 


450 


INTERESTING ROUTE. 


[ciIAP. XVII. 


tlie spring at the eastern base of the hills, we 
ascended a rugged pass, winding for some' miles 
among ravines, and crossing elevated shoulders of 
the range. Upon the summit, we passed a rich 
mass of both rose-coloured and white limestone, 
similar to that we had seen at Geera; this was 
surrounded by basalt, and the presence of limestone 
entirely mystifies my ideas of geology. Immense 
quantities of very beautiful spar lay upon the surface 
in all directions; some of this was perfectly white, 
and veined like an agate—I believe it was,white 
cornelian ; other fragments, of sizes equalling sixty 
or seventy pounds weight, were beautifully green, 
suggesting the presence of copper. Large masses of 
exquisite bloodstone, the size of a man’s head, were 
exceedingly numerous. Having crossed the hills, we 
descended to a rich and park-like valley, covered 
with grass, and ornamented with fine timber. Much 
dhurra was cultivated, and several villages were 
passed, that had been plundered by the Egyptians 
during the recent attack. This country must be 
exceedingly unhealthy during the rainy season, as 
the soil is extremely rich, and the valleys, sur¬ 
rounded by hills, would become swamps. From 
the Settite river, at Ombrega, to our halting-place 
beneath the tamarind-tree, at this spot, is about 
thirty-five miles south, 10° east.” 

Our camp was in a favourable locality, well shaded 
by large trees, on the margin of a small stream; this 
was nearly dry at this season, and the water was 


chap, xvii.] MINERAL WEALTH OF ABYSSINIA . 45) 

extremely bad, having a strong taste of copper. I 
had remarked throughout the neighbourhood unmis- 

o o 

takable evidences of the presence of this metal—the 
surface of the rocks was in many places bright green, 
like malachite, and, upon an exploration of the bed 
of the stream, I found veins of a green substance in 
the perpendicular cliffs that had been cut through by 
the torrent. These green veins passed through a bed 
of reddish, hard rock, glistening with minute crystals, 
which I believe to have been copper. There is no 
doubt that much might be done were the mineral 
wealth of this country thoroughly investigated. 

The day following our arrival, was passed in re¬ 
ceiving visits from a number of Abyssinians, and 
the head men of Mek Nimmur. There was a mixture 
of people, as many of the Jaleen Arabs who had 
committed some crime in the Egyptian territory, had 
fled across the country and joined the exiled chief of 
their tribe. Altogether, the society in this district 
was not creme de la creme, as Mek Mimmurs 
territory was an asylum for all the blackguards of the 
adjoining countries, w T ho were attracted by the 
excitement and lawlessness of continual border 
warfare. The troop that we had seen at Ombrega 
returned with a hundred and two head of camels, 
that they had stolen from the west bank of the Atbara. 
Mounted upon hygeens, Mek Nimmur s irregulars 
thought nothing of marching sixty miles in one day, 
thus their attack and retreat were equally sudden and 
unexpected. 


G U 2 


452 


PRESENT TO MEN NIMMUR. 


[chap. xvii. 


I had a quantity of rhinoceros hide in pieces of the 
size required for shields; these were much prized in 
this fighting country, and I presented them to a 
number of head men who had honoured us with a 
visit. I begged them to guide two of my people to 
the presence of Mek Nimmur, with a preliminary 
message. This they promised to perform. Accord¬ 
ingly, I sent Taher Noor and Bacheet on horseback, 
with a most polite message, accompanied with my 
card in an envelop, and a small parcel, carefully 
wrapped in four or five different papers ; this contained 
a very beautiful Persian lance-head, of polished steel 
inlaid with gold, that I had formerly purchased at 
Constantinople. 

During their absence, we were inundated with 
visitors, the Abyssinians in their tight pantaloons 
contrasting strongly with the ]oosely-clad Arabs. In 
about an hour, my messengers returned, accompanied 
by two men on horseback, with a hospitable message 
from Mek Nimmur, and an invitation to pay him a 
visit at his own residence. I had some trifling present 
ready for everybody of note, and, as Taher Noor and 
my people had already explained all they knew con¬ 
cerning us, Mek Nimmur s suspicions had entirely 
vanished. 

As we were conversing with Mek Nimmur’s mes¬ 
sengers through the medium of Taher Noor, who 
knew their language, our attention was attracted by 
the arrival of a tremendous swell, who at a distance I 
thought must be Mek Nimmur himself. A snow-white 


CHAP. XVII.] 


THE ABYSSINIAN MINSTREL. 


453 


mule carried an equally snow-white person, whose 
tight white pantaloons looked as though he had for¬ 
gotten his trowsers, and had mounted in his drawers. 
He carried a large umbrella to shade his complexion ; 
a pair of handsome silver-mounted pistols were 
arranged upon his saddle, and a silver-hilted curved 
sword, of the peculiar Abyssinian form, hung by his 
side. This grand personage was followed by an 
attendant, also mounted upon a mule, while several 
men on foot accompanied them, one of whom car¬ 
ried his lance and shield. Upon a near approach, 
he immediately dismounted, and advanced towards 
us, bowing in a most foppish manner, while his 
attendant followed him on foot with an enormous 
violin, which he immediately handed to him. This 
fiddle was very peculiar in shape, being a square, with 
an exceedingly long neck extending from one corner ; 
upon this was stretched a solitary string, and the bow 
was very short and much bent. This was an Abys¬ 
sinian Paganini. He was a professional minstrel of 
the highest grade, who had been sent by Mek Nimmur 
to welcome us on our arrival. 

These musicians are very similar to the minstrels of 
ancient times; they attend at public rejoicings, and 
at births, deaths, and marriages of great personages, 
upon which occasions they extemporize their songs 
according to circumstances. My hunting in the Base 
country formed his theme, and for at least an hour 
he sang of my deeds, in an extremely loud and dis¬ 
agreeable voice, while he accompanied himself upon 


454 


RICHARD CCEUR DE LION . 


[chap. XVII. 


his fiddle, which he held downwards like a violin- 
cello : during the whole of his song he continued in 
movement, marching with a sliding step to the front, 
and gliding to the right and left in a manner that, 
if intended to be graceful, was extremely comic. The 
substance of this minstrelsy was explained to me 
by Taher Noor, who listened eagerly to the words, 
which he translated with evident satisfaction. Of 
course, like all minstrels, he was an absurd flatterer, 
and, having gathered a few facts for his theme, he 
wandered slightly from the truth in his poetical 
description of my deeds. 

He sane; of me as though I had been Richard Coeur 

o o 

de Lion, and recounted, before an admiring throng of 
listeners, how “ I had wandered with a young wife 
from my own distant country to fight the terrible 
Base; how I had slain them in single combat; and 
how elephants and lions were struck down like lambs 
and kids by my hands ; that during my absence in 
the hunt, my wife had been carried off by the Base ; 
that I had, on my return to my pillaged camp, gal¬ 
loped off in chase, and, overtaking the enemy, hun¬ 
dreds had fallen by my rifle and sword, and I had 
liberated and recovered the lady, who now had 
arrived safe with her lord in the country of the great 
Mek Nimmur,” &c. &c. &c. 

This.was all very pretty, no doubt, and as true as 
most poetical and musical descriptions, but I felt 
certain that there must be something to pay for this 
flattering entertainment; if you are considered to be 


CHAr. xvii.J I PART WITH MY DEAR MARIA THERESA. 455 

a great man, a present is invariably expected in pro¬ 
portion to your importance. I suggested to Taber 
Noor that I must give him a couple of dollars. 
“What!” said Taher Noor, “ a couple of dollars? 
Impossible ! a musician of his standing is accustomed 
to receive thirty and forty dollars from great people, 
for so beautiful and honourable a song.” 

O 

This was somewhat startling; I began to reflect 
upon the price of a box at Her Majesty’s Theatre in 
London; but there I was not the hero of the opera; 
this minstrel combined the whole affair in a most 
simple manner ; he was Verdi, Costa, and orchestra 
all in one ; he was a thorough Macaulay as historian, 
therefore I had to pay the composer as well as the 
fiddler. I compromised the matter, and gave him a 
few dollars, as I understood that lie was Mek Nim- 
mur’s private minstrel, but I never parted with my 
dear Maria Theresa * with so much regret as upon 
that occasion, and I begged him not to incommode 
himself by paying us another visit, or, should he be 
obliged to do so, I trusted lie would not think it 
necessary to bring his violin. 

The minstrel retired in the same order that he had 
arrived, and I watched his retreating figure with 
unpleasant reflections, that were suggested by doubts 
as to whether I had paid him too little or too much ; 
Taher Noor thought that he was underpaid ; my own 
opinion was, that I had brought a curse upon myself 

* The Austrian dollar, that is the only large current coin in that 
country. 


456 THE GHOST OF THE DEPARTED FIDDLER, [chap. xvii. 

equal to a succession of London organ-grinders, as 
I fully expected that other minstrels, upon hearing 
of the Austrian dollars, would pay us a visit, and 
sing of my great deeds. 

In the afternoon, we were sitting beneath the 
shade of our tamarind tree, when we thought we 
could perceive our musical friend returning. As he 
drew near, we were convinced that it was the iden¬ 
tical minstrel, who had most probably been sent 
with a message from Mek Nirnmur : there he was, 
in snow-white raiment, on the snow-white mule, 
with the mounted attendant and the violin as before. 
He dismounted upon arrival opposite the camp, and 
approached with his usual foppish bow ; but we 
looked on in astonishment : it was not our Paganini, 
it was another minstrel! who was determined to 
sing an ode in our praise. I felt that this was an 
indirect appeal to Maria Theresa, and I at once 
declared against music. I begged him not to sing; 
“my wife had a headache—I disliked the fiddle— 
could he play anything else instead ?” and I ex¬ 
pressed a variety of polite excuses, but to no pur¬ 
pose; he insisted upon singing; if I “disliked the 
fiddle, he would sing without an accompaniment, 
but he could not think of insulting so great a man 
as myself by returning without an ode to comme¬ 
morate our arrival.” 

I was determined that he should not sing; he 
was determined that he would , therefore I desired 
him to leave my camp ; this he agreed to do, pro- 


chap, xvii.] THE “ LAY OF TILE LAST MINSTREL.” 457 

vided I would allow him to cross the stream, and 
sing to my Tokrooris, in my praise, beneath a neigh¬ 
bouring tree about fifty yards distant. He remounted 
his mule with his violin, to ford the muddy stream, 
and he descended the steep bank, followed by his 
attendant on foot, who drove the unwilling; mule. 
Upon arrival at the brink of the dirty brook, that 
was about three feet deep, the mule positively re¬ 
fused to enter the water, and stood firm with its 
fore-feet sunk deep in the mud. The attendant 
attempted to push it on behind, at the same time 
he gave it a sharp blow with his sheathed sword; 
this changed the scene to the “ opera comique.” In 
one instant, the mule gave so vigorous and unex¬ 
pected a kick into the bowels of the attendant, that 
he fell upon his back, heels uppermost, while at 
the same moment the minstrel, in his snow-white 
garments, was precipitated head foremost into the 
muddy brook, and for the moment disappearing, the 
violin alone could be seen floating on the surface. 
A second later, a wretched-looking object, covered 
with slime and filth, emerged from the slough ; this 
was Paganini the second! who, after securing his 
fiddle, that had stranded on a mud-bank, scrambled 
up the steep slope, amidst the roars of laughter of 
my people and of ourselves; while the perverse 
mule, having turned harmony into discord, kicked 
up its heels and galloped off, braying an ode in 
praise of liberty, as the “Lay of the last Minstrel/’ 
The discomfited fiddler was wiped down by my 


458 MY INTRODUCTION TO MEK NIMMUR. [chap. xvn. 

Tokrooris, who occasionally burst into renewed fits 
of laughter during the operation; the mule was 
caught, and the minstrel remounted, and returned 
home completely out of tune. 

On the following morning, at sunrise, I mounted 
my horse, and, accompanied by Taher Noor and Ba- 
cheet, I rode to pay my respects to Mek Nimmur. 
Our route lay parallel to the stream, and, after a 
ride of about two miles through a fine, park-like 
country, bounded by the Abyssinian Alps about fif¬ 
teen miles distant, I observed a crowd of people 
around a large tamarind tree, near which were 
standing a number of horses, mules, and dromeda¬ 
ries. This was the spot upon which I was to 
meet Mek Nimmur. Upon my approach, the crowd 
opened, and, having dismounted, I was introduced 
by Taher Noor to the great chief. He was a man 
of about fifty, and exceedingly dirty in appearance. 
He sat upon an angarep, surrounded by his people ; 
lying on either side upon his seat were two brace 
of pistols, and within a few yards stood his horse 
ready saddled. He was prepared for fight or flight, 
as were also his ruffianly-looking followers, who were 
composed of Abyssinians and Jaleens. 

I commenced the conversation by referring to the 
hospitality shown by his father to my countryman, 
Mr. Mansfield Parkyns, and I assured him that such 
kind attentions were never forgotten by an English¬ 
man, therefore I had determined to visit him, although 
the Egyptian authorities had cautioned me not to 


CHAP. XVII.J 


THE RECEPTION. 


459 


trust myself within his territory. I explained that 
I was bound towards an unknown point, in search of 
the sources of the White Nile, which might occupy 
some years, but that I wished to perfect the explora¬ 
tion by the examination of all the Abyssinian Nile 
affluents; and I concluded by asking for his assistance 
in my journey to the Bahr Angrab and the Salaam. 
He replied very politely, and gave me much local 
information ; he said that the Egyptians gave him no 
peace, that he was obliged to fight in self-defence ; but 
that, if I could make overtures on his part to the 
Egyptian authorities, he would engage never to 
cross the Atbara, provided they observed a similar 
condition. I promised to represent his offer to the 
Governor-General on my arrival at Khartoum. He 
agreed to give me a guide to the rivers Angrab and 
Salaam, that were not far distant, and he at once 
pointed out to me the two dark gorges, about twelve 
and sixteen miles distant, in the chain of precipitous 
mountains from which they flowed. He described 
the country upon the other side of the mountains to 
be the elevated plateau of Abyssinia, and he advised 
me to visit the king before my departure from his 
territory ; this I could not conveniently accomplish, 
as my route lay in an opposite direction. He begged 
me for a telescope, so that he should be able to see 
the approach of the Turks (Egyptians) from a great 
distance, as he explained that he had spies upon all 
the mountain tops, so that no stranger could enter his 
country without his knowledge. He confessed that 


460 


THE POISOEOUS STREAM. 


[ciiap. XVII. 


my movements while in the Base country had been 
watched by his spies, until he had felt assured that 
1 had no sinister motive. I laughed at the idea ; he 
replied, that we were most fortunate to have escaped 
an attack from the natives, as they were far worse 
than wild beasts, and he immediately pointed out 
several Base slaves who were present in the crowd, 
who had been captured when children; they ap¬ 
peared to be the same as the woolly-headed natives 
of the south bank of the Blue Nile, and not at all 
peculiar in appearance. He cautioned me against 
bathing in the stream, or drinking the water in the 
neighbourhood of our camp, as it was extremely 
poisonous, and would produce an irritation of the 
skin. I told him that I had discovered copper, and 
that I attributed the poisonous quality of the water 
to the presence of that mineral. This announcement 
was received with a general expression of approbation. 
“ That is very curious,” he said, “ that we who live 
in this country are ignorant, and that you, a stranger, 
should at once explain the cause of the poison.” He 
at once agreed to the suggestion, as he said, that 
during the rains, when the torrents were full, the 
water was not unwholesome, but in the dry weather, 
when the supply was scanty, and the stream feeble, 
the strength of the poison was necessarily increased. 
He assured me that, although the pasturage was ex¬ 
cellent, all cattle that drank in that lior or stream, 
became as thin as skeletons. 

Mek Nimmur had been ignorant of the existence of 


chap, xvii.] UNFORTUNATE CONTRETEMPS. 


431 


copper, but lie informed me tliat gold dust was 
common in the sand of most of the ravines, and that, 
if I would remain in his country, I might discover 
considerable quantities. I informed him that I had 
already discovered the existence of both gold and lead. 
He requested me to give him every information 
respecting the lead, as he should prefer it to gold, as 
he could manufacture bullets to shoot the Turks (as 
the Egyptians are called by the neighbouring tribes). 
After a long and satisfactory conversation, I made my 
salaam, and retired. Immediately on my arrival at 
the camp, I despatched Wat Gamma on horseback with 
Taller Noor, in charge of a pair of beautiful double- 
barrelled pistols, with the name of Tatham as the 
manufacturer; these were loaded, and I sent a polite 
message, begging Mek Nimmur s acceptance of the 
present; they were accompanied by a supply of 
ammunition. 

In the evening Wat Gamma returned with the 
pistols;—they had burst! Mek Nimmur had requested 
him to fire at a mark, and one barrel of each pistol 
had given way ; thus, the double rifle and the pistols 
of the same name, “ Tatham,” had all failed; 
fortunately no one was injured. T was afraid that 
this would lead to some complication, and I was 
much annoyed ; I had never used these pistols, but 
I had considered that they were first-rate ; thus I had 
given them to Mek Nimmur as a valuable present, 
and they had proved their utter worthlessness. I 
immediately mounted my horse, and with my revolver 


432 NIMMUR BEHAVES LIKE A GENTLEMAN, [chap. xvit. 

in my belt, and my beautiful single Beattie rifle in my 
band, I galloped off to Mek Nimmur; be was seated 
in tbe same spot, watching the harvest of dliurra, 
enormous piles of which were being thrashed by a 
number of Abyssinians. The instant that I arrived, 

I went straight to him, and explained my regret and 
disappointment at the failure of the pistols, and I 
begged him to take his choice between my rifle and 
revolver. He behaved remarkably well; he had 
begged my messenger to leave the broken pistols with 
him, and not to mention the circumstance to me, as 
he felt sure that I should feel even more annoyed 
than himself; he now declined my offer, as he said 
I should require the weapons during my proposed 
journey up the White Nile, and he could not deprive 
me of their use. He was afraid of the revolver, as 
it was too complicated, but I tore from my note-book 
a small piece of paper, which I requested one of his 
people to stick upon a rock about ninety yards 
distant. I took a steady shot with the single rifle, 
and was fortunate enough to hit the paper exactly. 
This elicited general applause, and Mek Nimmur 
called one of his people, an Abyssinian, who he 
declared to be a celebrated shot, and he requested 
that he might be allowed to fire the rifle. I placed 
a similar mark upon the rock, and the Abyssinian 
fired from a rest, and struck the stone, in a good 
line, about six inches below the paper. The crowd 
were in raptures with the rifle, which I* at once 
insisted upon Mek Nimmur accepting. I then made 


chap, xvii.] PHARAOH’S LEAN KINE. 463 

my salaam, and mounted my liorse amidst general 
expressions of approval. 

On the following morning, Mek Nimmur sent us 
two camel-loads of corn; a large gourd of honey, 
weighing about fifty pounds; and four cows that 
must have been a detachment of Pharaoh’s lean kine, 
with a polite message that I was to select the fattest. 
These cattle were specimens of the poisonous qualities 
of the water; but, although disappointed in the 
substance of the present, my people were delighted 
with the acquisition, and they immediately selected 
a cow; but, just as they were licking their lips at 
the prospect of fresh meat, which they had not tasted 
for some days, the cow broke away and made off 
across country. In despair at the loss, my men 
followed in hot pursuit, and two of the Tokrooris 
overtook her, and held on to her tail like bull-dogs, 
although dragged for some distance, at full gallop 
through thorns and ruts, until the other men arrived 
and overpowered the thin, but wiry animal. When 
slaughtered, there was a great squabble between my 
men and the Abyssinians, who endeavoured to steal 
the meat. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

A CAMEL FALLS, AND DIES. 

I extract a few notes from my journal :— 

“ March 25, 1862 .—Mai Gubba is about twelve 
miles E.N.E. of our camp. Mek Nimmur’s strong¬ 
hold is upon a lofty table mountain, due south of 
this spot, from which great elevation (about 5,000 
feet) the granite mountain of Cassala is said to be 
plainly visible. 

“ March 27 .—We started for the Balir Salaam, 
and said good-bye to Mek Nimmur, as we passed 
his position on our march; he had given us a guide; 
an awful-looking scoundrel. 

“We had hardly marched two miles, when one of 
the baggage-camels suddenly fell down to die ; the 
Arabs immediately cut its throat with a sword, and 
Bacheet, having detached one ear as a witness of its 
death, galloped back to borrow a fresh camel of 
Mek Nimmur, which he very kindly sent without 
delay. We were obliged to bivouac on the spot for 
the night, as the Arabs required the flesh of their 
camel, which was cut into thin strips. As they 


chap, xviii.] ARABS CONSUME THE RATE FLESH. 465 

were employed in skinning it, they ate large 
quantities raw and quivering. The stream, or hor, 
that flows through this country, parallel with our 
route, is the Ma Serdi; all this district is rich in 
copper. 

“ March 28 .—Started at 5 a.m. course S.W. We 
crossed two hors, flowing from N.N.W. and joining 
the Ma Serdi; also a beautiful running stream of deep 
and clear water, twelve miles from our bivouac of last 
evening : this stream is never dry ; it springs from a 
range of hills about ten miles distant. The whole of 
this country is well watered by mountain streams, 
the trees are no longer the thorny mimosas, but as 
the land is not only fertile, but sufficiently moist, it 
gives birth to a different kind of vegetation, and the 
trees are mostly free from thorns, although at this 
season devoid of foliage. The country is ornamented 
by extensive cultivation, and numerous villages. We 
halted at 5 p.m. having marched twenty-one miles. 
The fertile soil of this country is thoroughly melted 
by rain during the wet season, and in the intense heat 
of the drought it becomes a mass of gaping crevices 
many feet deep, that render hunting on horseback 
most dangerous. Fortunately, as we halted, I observed 
a herd of tetel, and three ostriches: the latter made 
off immediately, but I succeeded in stalking the tetel, 
and shot two, right and left, one of which escaped, but 
the other became the prize of my Tokrooris. 

“March 29 .—Started at 5.30 a.m. and reached the 
river Salaam at 8 a.m. ; the total distance from our 


H H 


466 ARRIVAL AT THE BAHR SALAAM. [chap, xyiii. 

camp in Mek Nimmur’s country is thirty-five miles 
S.W. The Bahr Salaam is precisely similar in character 
to the Settite, but smaller ; it has scooped through the 
rich lands a deep valley, like the latter river, and has 
transported the fertile loam to the Atbara, to increase 
the rich store of mud which that river delivers to the 
Nile. The Salaam is about two hundred yards wide ; 
it flows through perpendicular cliffs that form walls 
of rock, in many places from eighty to a hundred 
and fifty feet above its bed ; the water is as clear as 
crystal, and of excellent quality ; even now, a strong 
though contracted stream is running over the rounded 
pebbles that form its bed, similar to that of the Settite. 
We descended a difficult path, and continued along 
the dry portion of the river’s bed up stream. While 
we were searching for a spot to encamp, I saw a fine 
bull mehedehet (A. Reduncci Ellipsiprymnd) by the 
water side ; I stalked him carefully from behind a bed 
of high rushes, and shot him across the river with the 
Fletcher rifle ; he went on, although crippled, but the 
left-hand barrel settled him by a bullet through the 
neck. We camped on the bank of the river. 

“ March SO .—I went out to explore the country, 
and, steering due east, I arrived at the river Angrab or 
Angarep, three miles from the Salaam ; from a high 
rock I could trace its course from the mountain gorge 
to this spot, the stream flowing N.W. This noble 
river or mountain torrent is about a hundred and fifty 
yards wide, although the breadth varies according to 
the character of the country through which it passes ; 


chap , xviii .] CHARACTER OF THE TORRENTS. 467 

in most places, it rushes through frightful precipices ; 
sometimes it is walled within a channel of only forty 
or fifty yards, and in such, places the cliffs, although 
at least a hundred feet perpendicular height, bear the 
marks of floods that have actually overtopped the 
rocks, and have torn away the earth, and left masses 
of bamboos and withered reeds clinging to the branches 
of trees, which, growing on still higher rocks, have 
dipped in the swollen torrent. I followed the circuit¬ 
ous course of the river for some miles, until, after a 
most fatiguing exploration among precipices and deep 
ravines, I arrived at the junction of the Salaam river. 
On the way, I came upon a fine bull nellut (A. Strep- 
siceros) beneath a shady nabbuk by the river s side ; 
I could only obtain an oblique shot, as his hind 
quarters were towards me; the bullet passed through 
the ribs, and reached the shoulder upon the opposite 
side. This nellut had the finest horns that I had yet 
obtained; they measured four feet in the curve, three 
feet one inch and a half in a straight line, with a 
spread of two feet seven inches from point to point. 
I found tracks of hippopotami upon the high grassy 
lulls; these animals climb up the most difficult places 
during the night, when they ascend from the river to 
seek for pasturage. I was not far from the tent when 
I arrived at the junction of the Angrab with the Balir 
Salaam, but the rivers were both sunk in stupendous 
precipices, so that it was impossible to descend. The 
mouth of the river Angrab was an extraordinary sight; 
it was not wider than about fifteen yards, although 
H h 2 


4 G8 THE JUNCTION OF THE ANGRAB. [chap, xviii. 

the river averaged a width of at least a hundred and 
fifty yards. The exit of the water was between two 
lofty walls of basalt rock, which overhung the stream, 
which in the rainy season not only forced its way for 
about a hundred yards through this narrow cleft, but 
it had left proof of inundations that had leapt over the 
summit of the obstruction, when the rush of water had 
been too great for the area of the contracted passage. 
Altogether, the two rivers Salaam and Angrab are 
interesting examples of the destructive effect of water, 
that has during the course of ages cut through, and 
hollowed out in the solid rock, a succession of the most 
horrible precipices and caverns, in which the maddened 
torrents, rushing from the lofty chain of mountains, 
boil along until they meet the Atbara, and assist to 
flood the Nile. No one could explore these tremen¬ 
dous torrents, the Settite, Roy an, Angrab, Salaam, and 
Atbara, without at once comprehending their effect 
upon the waters of the Nile. The magnificent chain of 
mountains from which they flow, is not a simple line 
of abrupt sides, but the precipitous slopes are the 
walls of a vast plateau, that receives a prodigious rain¬ 
fall in June, July, August, until the middle of Septem¬ 
ber, the entire drainage of which is carried away by 
the above-named channels to inundate Lower Egypt.” 

Not being able to cross the river at the point of junc¬ 
tion with the Salaam, I continued along the margin 
of the precipice that overhangs the latter river, until 
I should find a place by which we could descend with 
the camel, as this animal had made a great circuit to 




HEAD OF MEHEDEHET—(REDUNCA ELLIPSTPRYMNa). 


See page 469 . 

















CHAP. XVIII.[ 


GOOD SPORT. 


469 


avoid the difficulties of the Angrab. We were at length 
united, and were continuing our route parallel with 
the river, over undulations of withered grass about 
three feet high, interspersed with trees, when I 
perceived above the surface, the long horns of a 
mehedehet (R. EUipsiprymna ). I knew that he must 
be lying down, and, as he was about a hundred and 
fifty yards distant, I stalked him carefully from tree 
to tree; presently I observed three other pairs of 
horns at various distances ; two were extremely large ; 
but, unfortunately, an animal with smaller horns was 
lying between me and the largest. I could do no 
more than creep quietly from point to point, until the 
smaller animal should start and alarm the larger. 
This it did when I was about a hundred yards from 
the large bull, and both mehedehets sprang up, and, as 
is usual with this species, they stood for a few 
moments seeking for the danger. My clothes and 
hunting cap matched so well with the bark of the tree 
behind which I was kneeling, that I was unobserved, 
and, taking a rest against the stem with the little 
Fletcher, I fired both barrels, the right at the most 
distant bull. Both animals simply sprang for an 
instant upon their hind legs, and fell. This was 
capital; but at the report of the rifle, up jumped two 
other mehedehets, which appeared the facsimiles of 
those I had just shot; having missed their com¬ 
panions, and seeing no one, they stood motionless and 
gazed in all directions. 

I had left my people far behind when I had com- 


470 


FOUR LUCKY HITS . 


[chap. XVIII. 


menced the stalk, therefore I had no spare rifle. I 
reloaded behind the tree with all haste. I had capped 
the nipples, and, as I looked out from my covering 
point, I saw them still in the same spot: the larger, 
with superb horns, was about a hundred and twenty 
yards distant. Again I took a rest, and fired. He 
sprang away as though untouched for the first three 
or four bounds, when he leapt convulsively in the air, 
and fell backwards. This was too much for the 
remaining animal, that was standing about a hundred 
yards distant—he bounded off; but the last barrel of 
the little Fletcher caught him through the neck at 
full gallop, and he fell ‘all of a heap, stone dead. 

These were the prettiest shots T ever recollect to 
have made, in a very long experience; I had bagged 
four with the same rifle, in as many shots, as quickly 
as I could load and fire. 

My Tokroori, Abdoolahi, who had been intently 
watching the shots from a distance, came rushing 
up in hot excitement with one of my sharp hunt¬ 
ing knives, and, springing forward to hamstring one 
of the animals, that was still struggling, he foolishly 
made a downward cut, and, missing his blow, he 
cut his own leg terribly across the shin, the knife 
flying out of his hand as it struck against the bone; 
he was rendered helpless immediately. I tied up 
the wound with my handkerchief, and, having at 
length loaded the camel with as much meat as we 
could cut off the animals, Abdoolahi was assisted upon 
its back; my men carried the two finest heads. It 


CHAP. XVIII.] 


A FALL OVER A CLIFF. 


471 


was very late, and we now sought for a path by 
which we could descend to the river. 

At length we discovered a dangerous antelope- 
track, that descended obliquely, by skirting an 
exceedingly steep side of a hill, with a perpendicular 
precipice immediately below, ..that fell for about 
seventy feet sheer to the river. My horse Tetel was 
as sure-footed as a goat, therefore, having taken off 
my shoes to avoid slipping, I led him to the bottom 
safely. Taher Noor called to the camel-driver not 
to attempt to follow. Although warned, this fellow 
persisted in leading the heavily-laden animal down 
the slippery and dangerous path. Hardly had he 
gone a few paces, when the camel's feet slipped, 
and it shot down the rapid incline, and disappeared 
over the edge of the precipice. I heard the camel roar, 
and, hastening up the path, I looked over the cliff, 
holding to a rope that Taher Noor fastened to a tree. 
I perceived that the animal was fortunately caught 
upon a narrow ledge of rock, and was prevented from 
falling to the bottom by a tough bush that grew 
from a cleft; this alone supported it in mid-air. My 
Arabs were wild and stupid. Abdoolalii had held on 
like a leech, and, as we were well provided with strong 
ropes, we soon hauled him up, but the Arabs de¬ 
clared their camel to be dead, as no power on earth 
could save it. Having examined the cliff, I felt sure 
that we could assist the camel, unless it had already 
broken some bones by the fall; accordingly, I gave 
orders to the Arabs, who obeyed implicitly, as they 


472 


WE SAVE THE CAMEL. 


[chap, xviiH 


were so heart-broken at the idea of losing their 
animal, that they had lost all confidence in them¬ 
selves. We lowered down Taher Noor by a rope 
to the bush, and after some difficulty, he unfastened 
the load of flesh, which he threw piece by piece to 
a platform of rock below, about ten feet square, 
which formed a shelf a few inches above the level 
of the water. The camel being relieved of both 
the load and its saddle, I ordered the Arabs to 
fasten together all their ropes ; these, being made of 
twisted antelope’s hide, were immensely strong, 
and as I had established a rule, that several extra 
bundles should invariably accompany the w r ater- 
camel, we had a large supply. The camel was now 
secured by a rope passed round the body beneath 
the forelegs, and the cloths of the Arabs were 
wrapped around the cord to prevent it from cutting 
the skin. This being arranged, I took a double turn 
of the rope round a tree, as thick as a man’s thigh, 
that grew in a cleft of the rock where we stood, 
and throwing the honey axe to Taher Noor, I told 
him to cut away the bushes that supported the 
camel, and I would lower it gently down to the 
shelf by the water’s edge. In a few minutes the 
bushes were cut away, and the camel, roaring with 
fright, swung in mid-air. Taher Noor held on to 
the rope, while I slacked off the line from the tree, 
and lowered both man and beast safely to the shelf, 
about seventy-feet below. The camel was unhurt, 
and the Arabs were delighted; two other men now 


CHAP. XVIII.] 


NARROW ESCAPE. 


473 


descended. We threw them down a quantity of 
dry wood to make a fire, and, as they were well 
off for meat, we left them prisoners upon the ledge 
of rock with the profoundly deep river before them, 
walled in by abrupt precipices upon either side* It 
was nearly dark, and, having to find my way to 
the camp among dangerous ravines, I rode fast 
ahead of my men to discover a ford, and to reach 
home before complete darkness should increase the 
danger. Tetel was as sure-footed and as nimble as 
a cat, but we very nearly ended our days together, 
as the bank of a precipice gave way while we were 
skirting the edge. I felt it sinking, but the horse 
sprang forward and saved himself, as I heard the 
mass fall beneath. 

That night we received a very audacious visit. 
I was asleep in my tent, when I was suddenly 
awakened by a slight pull at my sleeve, which was 
the signal always given by my wife if anything 
was wrong ; on such occasions, I never replied until 
I had gently grasped my little Fletcher, which always 
slept with me beneath my mat. She now whispered 
that a hyaena had been within the tent, but, that it 
had just bolted out, as these animals are so wary 
that they detect the slightest movement or noise. 
As a rule, I never shot at hyaenas, but, as I feared 
it might eat our saddles, I laid in bed with the rifle 
to my shoulder, pointed towards the tent door 

* On the following morning, the camel was safely floated across 
the river, supported by the inflated skins of the mehedehets. 


4/4 THE HYMN A ENTERS THE TENT. [chap, xviii. 

through, which the moon was shining brightly. In 
a few minutes, a grey-looking object stood like an 
apparition at the entrance, peering into the tent to 
see if all were right before it entered. I touched 
the trigger, and the hyaena fell dead, with the bullet 
through its head. This was a regular veteran, as 
his body was covered with old scars from continual 
conflicts with other hyaenas. This was the first time 
that one of these animals had taken such a liberty; 
they were generally contented with eating the bones 
that were left from our dinner outside the tent door, 
which they cleared away regularly every night. 

We remained in this beautiful country from 
March 29th until April 14th, during which time I 
seldom remained for an hour in camp, from sunrise 
to sunset; I was always in the saddle or on foot. 
Two of my best Tokrooris, Hadji Ali and Hassan, 
usually acccompanied me on horseback, while Taher 
Noor and a couple of Arabs rode upon camels with 
a good supply of water. In this manner I traversed 
the entire country, into the base of the great moun¬ 
tain chain, and thence down the course of the 
river towards the Atbara junction. This district was 
entirely composed of the most fertile soil, through 
which the great rivers Angrab and Salaam had cut 
their way in a similar manner to the Atbara and 
Settite. The Salaam, after the junction of the 
Angrab, was equal in appearance to the Atbara, but 
the inclination of this great mountain torrent is so 
rapid, that it quickly becomes exhausted at the 


CHAP. XVIII.] 


HIFBOTRA G US BAKERII. 


4 75 


cessation of rain in the lofty mountains that form 
its source. Both the Angrab and the Salaam are 
short rivers, but, as they are the two main channels 
for the reception of the entire drainage of a vast 
mountain area, they bring down most violent floods, 
that materially affect the volume of the main artery. 

The whole of this country abounded in game 
beyond any that I had hitherto seen, and I had 
most glorious sport. Among the varieties of ante¬ 
lopes, was a new species that I had seen upon 
several occasions on the Settite, where it was ex¬ 
tremely rare. On the high open plains above the 
valley of the Salaam, this antelope was very numer¬ 
ous, but so wild and wary that it was impossible 
to approach nearer than from 350 to 500 yards. 
This 'magnificent animal, the largest of all the 
antelopes of Abyssinia and Central Africa, is known 
to the Arabs as the Maarif (Hippotragus Bakerii). 
It is a variety of the sable antelope of South Africa 
(Hippotragus Niger). The colour is mouse-grey, 
with a black stripe across the shoulders, and black 
and white lines across the nose and cheeks. The 
height at the shoulder would exceed fourteen hands, 
and the yieck is ornamented with a thick and stiff 
black mane. The shoulders are peculiarly massive, 
and are extremely high at the withers ; the horns 
are very powerful, and, like those of the roan and the 
sable antelope, they are annulated, and bend gracefully 
backwards. Both the male and female are provided 
with horns ; those of the former are exceedingly thick, 


476 the BASE OF THE ABYSSINIAN ALPS. [ chap , xviii . 

and the points frequently extend so far as to reach 
the shoulders. 

The Maarif invariably inhabits open plains, upon 
which it can see an enemy at a great distance, thus 
it is the most difficult of all animals to stalk. 
Nothing can be more beautiful than a herd of these 
superb animals, but the only successful method of 
hunting would be to course them with greyhounds ; 
my dogs were dead, thus I depended entirely upon 
the rifle. I was also deprived of the assistance of 
the aggageers, whom I had left at the Royan. 

Rhinoceros and giraffes were very numerous through¬ 
out this country; but the ground was most unfavour¬ 
able for riding. The surface resembled a beautiful 
park, composed of a succession of undulations, inter¬ 
spersed with thornless trees, and watered by streamlets 
at intervals of five or eight miles, while the magni¬ 
ficent Alps of Abyssinia bounded the view to the 
south; but there was no enjoyment in this country 
on horseback. The rainy season converted this rich 
loam into a pudding, and the dry season baked it 
into a pie-crust. The entire surface was loose, flaky, 
and hollow ; there was not a yard of ground that was 
not split into deep crevices, that were regular pitfalls; 
and so unsound was the general character of the 
country, that a horse sank above his fetlocks at every 
footstep. I usually rode during the day when ex¬ 
ploring; but whenever I shot, it was necessary to 
dismount, as it was impossible to follow an animal 
successfully on horseback. I had on several occa- 


C1IAF. XVIII.] 


DELIGHTFUL COUNTRY. 


477 


sions attempted to ride down a giraffe, but upon sucli 
ground I had not the slightest chance; thus the 
aggageers, who invariably hunt the giraffe by riding 
at full speed until they can hamstring it with the 
sword, never visit this country. This accounted for 
the presence of so large a number of animals, as they 
were never disturbed by these untiring hunters. 

Our camp was pitched at the junction of a torrent, 
which, flowing from the higher ground, joined the 
river Salaam in a succession of waterfalls. At this 
season, a gentle stream, as clear as glass, rippled over 
a rocky bed about twenty yards wide, and the holes 
in the flat surface above the fall formed natural basins 
of the purest water. I frequently strolled for some 
miles along the bed of the stream, that afforded excel¬ 
lent pasturage for the horses in a sweet, green grass, 
that was not only an attraction to antelopes and buf¬ 
faloes (Bos Coffer), but formed a covert for incredible 
numbers of the beautiful francolin partridge, which 
might have been shot in hundreds as they rose from 
the cool herbage that afforded both food and conceal¬ 
ment. I was returning late one evening along the 
bed of the stream, after a days shooting, during 
which I had bagged several antelopes and wild boar, 
when I observed at a distance a dark mass in the 
bright yellow grass, which I quickly distinguished as 
a herd of elephants. It was just dusk, and having 
endeavoured to meet them as they came to drink, but 
without success, I determined to track them up on 
the following morning. I started at daybreak, with 


478 FOLLOW A HERD OF ELEPHANTS. [chap, xyiii. 

all my horses and gun-bearers. For about sixteen 
miles we tracked up the herd to within a short dis¬ 
tance of the base of the mountain range. During the 
march, we had seen large quantities of giraffes, and 
all the varieties of large antelopes. The country, that 
had consisted of a vast plain, now changed to rapid 
undulations; the trees were generally small, and, at 
this season of intense dryness, were devoid of leaves. 
At the bottom of one of these undulations, among a 
number of skeleton trees, that afforded no shade, 
we discovered the elephants, standing in the high 
withered grass, that entirely concealed all but the 
upper portion of their heads; they were amusing 
themselves by tearing up the trees, and feeding 
upon the succulent roots. I ordered Taher Noor and 
Bacheet each to take a horse and rifle, and to lead 
them, together with my hunter Aggahr, about a 
hundred yards behind me, while I advanced towards 
the elephants on foot. At the sound of the first shot 
they were to mount, and to bring my horse and spare 
guns as rapidly as possible. Unfortunately, the herd 
was alarmed by a large bull giraffe that was asleep in 
the grass, which started up within thirty yards of us, 
and dashed off in terror through the mass of elephants. 
Their attention was roused, and they moved off to my 
left, which change of position immediately gave them 
our wind. There was no time to lose, as the herd was. 
in retreat; and, as they were passing across my path, 
at about two hundred paces distance, I ran at my best 
speed, stumbling through the broken pie-crust, and 


chap, xviii.] AGGAIIR TAKES THE LEAD. 47 c) 

sinking in the yawning crevices, the sides of which 
were perfectly rotten, until I arrived within shot of 
about twenty-five elephants. I was just on the point 
of firing at the temple of a large animal that was 
within about ten yards, when it suddenly turned, and 
charged straight at me. With the right-hand barrel 
of a Reilly No. 10, I was fortunate enough to turn 
it by a forehead shot, when so close that it was 
nearly upon me. As it swerved, I fired the remaining 
barrel exactly through the centre of the shoulder; this 
dropped and killed the elephant as though it had been 
shot through the brain. 

The difficulties of the ground were such, that the 
horses were not led as quickly as I had expected ; 
thus I had to reload, which I had just completed 
when Aggahr was brought by Taber Noor. Spring- 
ing into the saddle, I at once gave chase. The 
gallant old horse flew along through the high grass, 
regardless of the crevices and rotten ground. The 
herd was about three hundred yards ahead, but the 
long steady stride of Aggahr quickly shortened the 
distance, and in a few minutes I was riding along¬ 
side the elephants, that were shambling along at a 
great pace, I determined to head them, and drive 
them back towards my people, in which case I ex¬ 
pected that we might be able to surround them. I 
touched Aggahr with the spur, and he shot ahead 
of the leading elephants, when I turned sharp to 
the right exactly before their path, and gave a 
shout to check their advance ; in the same instant. 


480 fall AT TLLE FEET OF THE ELEPHANTS, [chap, xviii. 

Aggahr turned a complete sommersault within a few 
yards of their feet, having put his fore-leg into a 
deep crevice, and I rolled over almost beneath the 
elephants with the heavy rifle in my hand. The 
horse recovered quicker than I, and, galloping off, 
he vanished in the high grass, leaving me rather 
confused from the fall upon my head. The herd, 
instead of crushing me as they ought to have done, 
took fright, and bolted off at their best pace. My 
eyes were dancing with the fall; the mounted gun- 
bearers were nowhere, as Gazelle would not face the 
elephants, and Tetel was far behind. My English 
saddle had vanished with Aggahr, and, as the 
stirrups of the Arab saddles were simple rings for 
the accommodation of the big toe, they were unser¬ 
viceable. Had the aggageers been with me, I should 
have had great sport with this herd; but, with the 
exception of Taher Noor, the men were bad horse¬ 
men, and even he was afraid of the ground, which 
was frightfully dangerous. 

We discovered that the bullet had passed through 
the great artery of the heart, which had caused the 
instantaneous death of the elephant I had shot. 

We were now at least seventeen miles from camp, 
and I feared that Aggahr would be lost, and would 
most likely be devoured by a lion during the night : 
thus I should lose not only my good old hunter, 
but my English saddle. I passed several hours in 
searching for him in all directions, and, in order to 
prevent him from straying to the south, we fired 


chap, xviii.] BENIGHTED ON OUR RETURN TO CAMP. 481 

the grass in all directions ; we thus had a line of 
fire between the camp and ourselves; this burnt 
slowly, as the north wind had carried the blaze 
rapidly in the other direction. We rode along the 
bottom of a watercourse, and reached the Salaam 
river, thus avoiding the fire ; but, some hours before 
we neared the camp, night had set in. We had 
beaten the fire, as we had got to windward, and 
slowly and tediously we toiled along the crumbling 
soil, stumbling among the crevices, that were nearly 
invisible in the moonlight. 

Thus we crept onwards; I had found riding im¬ 
practicable, therefore the horses were led, with much 
difficulty, as they constantly slipped up to their 
knees in the numerous fissures. It was difficult to 
recognise our position in the moonlight, and we were 
doubtful wdiether we had not missed our route to 
the camp. My watch told me that it was past nine 
o’clock, and we had been sixteen hours in hard work 
without the slightest rest. We halted to confer 
about the direction of the camp, when suddenly I 
heard the report of a gun to our right; we imme¬ 
diately turned, and hastened towards the welcome 
sound; presently I heard a distant shout. As we 
approached, this was repeated, and as I hurried for¬ 
ward, I recognised my own name shouted in an 
agonised voice. I ran on alone at my best speed, 
after giving a loud shrill whistle upon my fingers. 
'This was quickly replied to, and I repeated the well- 
known signal, until in about ten minutes I met my 


482 


ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELLS [chap, xviii. 


wife, who had been wandering about the country- 
half distracted for hours, searching for me in every 
direction, as my horse Aggahr had returned to the' 
camp with the bridle broken, and the empty saddle 
scratched by the boughs of trees; she had naturally 
concluded that some accident had happened. She 
had immediately armed herself with the little Fletcher 
that had been left in camp, being too small for 
elephants; with this, and several of the Arabs armed 
with swords and lances, she had been hunting 
throughout this wild country during the night in a 
state of terrible anxiety. It was fortunate that she 
had fired the shot to direct our attention, otherwise 
we might have passed each other without being 
seen. “ Albs well that ends wellwe were about 
three miles from camp, but the distance appeared 
short to everybody, as we now knew the true direc¬ 
tion, and we at length perceived the glare of a large 
fire that our people had lighted as a beacon. 

The horse, Aggahr, must have found his way 
without difficulty, as he had arrived a little before 
sunset. This curious instinct, that enables a horse to 
find the direction to its last halting-place in a wild 
and pathless country, was thoroughly appreciated by- 
the Arabs, who had comforted me with the assurance, 
that no Abyssinian horse would lose his way to the 
spot where he had last passed the night, if separated 
from his rider. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


SEND A PARTY TO RECONNOITRE. 

I had thoroughly explored the beautiful country of 
the Salaam and Angrab ; it was the 11th of April, and 
I intended to push on to Gallabat, the frontier market 
town of Abyssinia. We had no guide, as the fellow 
that had been supplied by Mek Nimmur had absconded 
the day after our arrival at the Salaam, but during the 
march he had pointed out a blue outline of a distant 
mountain in the south, that was called Nahoot 
Guddabi, or the saddle of Guddabi. This was an un- 
mistakeable landmark, as it exactly resembled an 
Arab saddle; at the foot of this mountain was the 
Tokroori village of Guddabi, the first habitation, at a 
distance of about fifty miles from the Bahr Salaam. 
Although, from the experience I had had in this neigh¬ 
bourhood, I had little doubt of the supply of water on 
the road, I sent three of my Tokrooris upon as many 
camels with water-skins, to reconnoitre before I should 
move the camp. 

On the second* day they returned, and reported the 
existence of several small streams, all of which pro¬ 
duced excellent water. 


I l 2 


484 


AHEAD OF THE CAMELS. 


[chap. XIX. 


We started on the following afternoon, and, with 
Hassan as our guide, and Taher Noor upon a camel, 
my wife and I cantered ahead of the main body, over 
a high ridge of stony, and accordingly firm ground. 
Upon arrival at the summit, we had a lovely view of 
the surrounding country, and we commenced a gentle 
descent into a vast plain sparsely covered with small 
trees. In the extensive prospect before us, the dark 
green veins of foliage in the otherwise yellow surface 
of withered grass marked out distinctly the course of 
small rivulets. We hurried on, sometimes over 
blackened ashes, where the fire had swept all before 
it, at other times through withered grass, that had 
been saved from destruction through the intervention 
of some ravine. At 7.30 p.m. we arrived at an excel¬ 
lent halting place, by a beautiful but small stream 
of water, shaded by a fringe of dome palms ; this was 
by dead reckoning seventeen miles from our last camp. 
It had been pleasant travelling, as the moon was full; 
we had ridden fast, therefore it was useless to expect 
the camels for some hours; we accordingly spread the 
carpet on the ground, and lay down to sleep, with the 
stocks of the rifles for pillows, as we had frequently 
done on former occasions. 

On the following morning I sent a couple of men 
on camels to reconnoitre the country in advance, 
towards Guddabi, and to return with the report of the 
supply of water. This country abounded with large 
game, especially with the beautiful antelope already 
described, the maarif; they were as usual extremely 






HORNS OF THE MAARIF ANTELOPE. 

Seepage 485 . 



CHAP. XIX.] 


THE M A ARIF. 


485 


wild, but I succeeded in breaking tbe hip of a fine 
bull at a long range ; and, separating him from the 
herd, I ran the wounded antelope until I was thoroughly 
exhausted in the intense heat of the sun, but I lost it 
in the thick bush not far from our camp. That night 
we heard a lion roaring close to us, and upon searching 
at daybreak I found the remains of a maarif, which I 
imagine must have been my wounded bull. 

I mounted my horse Tetel, and, with Taher Noor and 
two of my Tokrooris, Hadji Ali and Hassan, I rode 
towards a pyramidical hill about three miles distant, 
which I intended to ascend in order to obtain a pano¬ 
ramic view of the country. This hill was about three 
hundred feet high, and, as the fire had swept away a 
portion of the grass for several miles around, I should 
obtain a clear view of all living animals that might 
be in the neighbourhood. Upon arrival at the base of 
the hill I dismounted, and led my horse up the steep 
inclination of broken basalt that had fallen from the 
summit. From the top of the peak I had a superb 
panorama of the country, the mountain Nahoot Gub- 
dabi bearing S.W. about thirty miles distant. I had 
a complete bird’s-eye view of great extent, and 1 imme¬ 
diately distinguished, in various positions, giraffes, 
buffaloes, tetel, and boars: At this season the trees 
were leafless, thus any animal upon the low ground 
would be at once discovered from this elevated point. 
I extract from my journal the account of this day’s 
hunt, as it was written immediately upon my return 
to camp. 


486 


VIEW FROM THE PEAK. 


[chap. xix. 


“ I had been observing the country for some time 
from my high station, when I suddenly perceived two 
rhinoceros emerge from a ravine ; they walked slowly 
through a patch of high grass, and skirted the base of 
the hill upon which we were standing : presently they 
winded something, and they trotted back and stood 
concealed in the patch of grass. Although I had a 
good view of them from my present position, I knew 
that I should not be able to see them in their covert, 
if on the same level; I therefore determined to send 
to the tent for my other horses, and to ride them 
down, if I could not shoot them on foot; accordingly, 
I sent a man off, directing him to lead Tetel from 
the peak, and to secure him to a tree at the foot of 
the hill, as I was afraid the rhinoceros might observe 
the horse upon the sky line. This he did, and we 
saw him tie the horse by the bridle to the branch of 
a tree below us, while he ran quickly towards the 
camp. In the mean time I watched the rhinoceros; 
both animals laid down in the yellow grass, resembling 
masses of stone. They had not been long in this 
position, before we noticed two pigs wandering 
through the grass directly to windward, towards the 
sleeping rhinoceros; in an instant these animals 
winded the intruders, and starting up, they looked in 
all directions, but could not see them, as they were 
concealed by the high grass. Having been thus dis¬ 
turbed, the rhinoceros moved their quarters, and 
walked slowly forward, occasionally halting, and 
listening; one was about a hundred yards in ad- 





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CHAP, xix.] THE RHINOCEROS ATTACKS THE HORSE. 487 

vance of the other. They were taking a direction 
at the base of the hill that would lead them directly 
upon the spot where Tetel was tied to the tree. I 
observed this to Taher Noor, as I feared they w r ould 
kill the horse. * Oh, no/ he replied, ‘ they will lie 
down and sleep beneath the first tree, as they are 
seeking for shade—the sun is like fire/ However, 
they still continued their advance, and, upon reaching 
some rising ground, the leading rhinoceros halted, and 
I felt sure that he had a clear view of the horse, that 
was now about five hundred yards distant, tied to the 
tree. A ridge descended from the hill, parallel with 
the course the animals were taking; upon this, I ran 
as quickly as the stony slope permitted, keeping my 
eye fixed upon the leading rhinoceros, who with his 
head raised, was advancing directly towards the horse. 
I now felt convinced that he intended to attack it. 
Tetel did not observe the rhinoceros, but was quietly 
standing beneath the tree. I ran as fast as I was 
able, and reached the bottom of the hill just as the 
wilful brute was within fifty yards of the horse, which 
now for the first time saw the approaching danger ; 
the rhinoceros had been advancing steadily at a walk, 
but he now lowered his head, and charged at the 
horse at full speed. 

“ I was about two hundred yards distant, and for 
the moment I was afraid of shooting the horse, but 
I fired one of the Reilly No. 10 rifles; the bullet, 
missing the rhinoceros, dashed the sand and stones 
into his face, as it struck the ground exactly before 


488 


THE BULLET SAVES HIM. 


[ciiap. xix. 


his nose, when he appeared to be just into the un¬ 
fortunate Tetel. The horse in the same instant reared, 
and, breaking the bridle, it dashed away in the direc¬ 
tion of the camp, while the rhinoceros, astonished 
at the shot, and most likely half blinded by the sand 
and splinters of rock, threw up his head, turned 
round, and trotted back upon the track by which 
he had arrived. He passed me at about a hundred 
yards’ distance, as I had run forward to a bush, by 
which he trotted with his head raised, seeking for 
the cause of his discomfiture. Crack! went a bullet 
against his hide, as I fired my remaining barrel at 
his shoulder; he cocked his tail, and for a few yards 
he charged towards the shot; but he suddenly 
changed his course, and ran round several times in 
a small circle ; he then halted, and reeling to and fro, 
he retreated very slowly, and laid down about a 
hundred yards off. Well done, Keilly ! I knew that 
he had his quietus , but I was determined to bag his 
companion, who in alarm had now joined him, and 
stood looking in all quarters for the source of danger; 
but we were well concealed behind the bush. 
Presently, the wounded rhinoceros stood up, and 
walking very slowly, followed by his comrade, he 
crossed a portion of rising ground at the base of the 
hill, and both animals disappeared. I at once started 
off Hassan, who could run like an antelope, in search 
of Tetel, while I despatched another man to the 
summit of the peak to see if the rhinoceros were 
in view ; if not, T knew they must be among the 


CHAP. XIX.] 


ARRIVAL OF THE HORSES. 


489 


small trees and bushes at the foot of the hill. I 
thus waited for a long time, until at length the two 
greys, Aggahr and Gazelle, arrived with my messenger 
from the camp. I tightened the girths of the Arab 
saddle upon Aggahr, and I had just mounted, cursing 
all Arab stirrups, that are only made for the naked 
big toe, when my eyes were gladdened by the sight 
of Hassan cantering towards me upon Tetel, but from 
the exact direction the rhinoceros had taken. ‘ Quick! 
quick!’ he cried, ‘ come along! One rhinoceros is 
lying dead close by, and the other is standing beneath 
a tree not far off/ 

“ I immediately jumped on Tetel, and, taking the 
little Fletcher rifle, as lighter and handier than the 
heavy No. 10, 1 ordered Taher Noor and Hassan to 
mount the other horses, and to follow me with spare 
rifles. I found the rhinoceros lying dead about two 
hundred yards from the spot where he had received 
the shot, and I immediately perceived the companion, 
that was standing beneath a small tree. The ground 
was firm and stony, all the grass had been burnt off, 
except in a few small patches; the trees were not so 
thick together as to form a regular jungle. 

“ The rhinoceros saw us directly, and he valiantly 
stood and faced me as I rode up within fifty yards 
of him. Tetel is worth his weight in gold as a 
shooting horse: he stands like a rock, and would 
face the devil. I was unable to take a shot in 
this position, therefore I ordered the men to ride 
round a half-circle, as I knew the rhinoceros would 


490 


THE RHINOCEROS HUNT. 


[chap. XIX. 


turn towards the white horses, and thus expose his 
flank; this he did immediately, and firing well, 
exactly at the shoulder, I dropped him as though 
stone dead. Taher Noor shouted, ‘ Samme durrupto P 
(well shot); the rhinoceros lay kicking upon the 
ground, and I thought he was bagged. Not a bit 
of it! the No. 24 bullet had not force to break 
the massive shoulder-bone, but had merely paralysed 
it for the moment; up he jumped, and started off 
in full gallop. Now for a hunt! up the hill he 
started, then obliquely; he chose a regular rhino¬ 
ceros path, and scudded away, Tetel answering to 
the spur and closing with him ; through the trees; 
now down the hill over the loose rocks, where he 
gained considerably upon the horse. ‘Easy down 
the hill, gently over the stones, Tetel/ and I took 
a pull at the reins until I reached the level ground 
beneath, which was firm and first-rate. I saw the 
rhinoceros pelting away about a hundred and twenty 
yards ahead, and spurring hard, I shot up to him at 
full speed until within twenty yards, when round he 
came with astonishing quickness, and charged straight 
at the horse. I was prepared for this, as was my 
horse also ; we avoided him by a quick turn, and 
again renewed the chase, and regained our position 
within a few yards of the game. Thus the hunt 
continued for about a mile and a half, the rhinoceros 
occasionally charging, but always cleverly avoided by 
the horse. Tetel seemed to enjoy the fun, and 
hunted like a greyhound. Nevertheless I had not 





























































































♦ 

















































/ 




THE RHINOCEROS RIDDEN TO BAY. Seepage 491. 




































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































CHAP. XIX.] 


RIDDEN TO BAY. 


491 


been able to pass the rhinoceros, who had thundered 
along at a tremendous pace whenever I had at¬ 
tempted to close ; however, the pace began to tell 
upon his wounded shoulder; he evidently went lame, 
and, as 1 observed at some distance before us the 
commencement of the dark-coloured rotten ground, 
I felt sure that it would shortly be a case of ‘stand 
still/ In this 1 was correct, and, upon reaching 
the deep and crumbling soil, he turned sharp round, 
made a clumsy charge that I easily avoided, and he 
stood panting at bay. Taher Noor was riding 
Gazelle ; this was a very timid horse and was utterly 
useless as a hunter, but, as it reared and plunged 
upon seeing the rhinoceros, that animal immediately 
turned towards it with the intention of charging. 
Riding Tetel close to his flank, I fired both barrels 
of the little Fletcher into the shoulder ; he fell to 
the shots, and, stretching out his legs convulsively, 
he died immediately 

This was a capital termination to the hunt; as I 
had expected the death of my good horse Tetel, when 
the first rhinoceros had so nearly horned him. The 
sun was like a furnace, therefore I rode straight to 
camp, and sent men and camels for the hides and 
flesh. As I passed the body of the first rhinoceros, 
I found a regiment of vultures already collected 
around it, while fresh arrivals took place every 
minute, as they gathered from all quarters ; they had 
already torn out the eyes, and dragged a portion of 
flesh from the bullet-wound in the shoulder ; but the 


492 ARRIVAL OF BIRDS OF PRFY. [chap. xix. 

tough hide of the rhinoceros was proof against their 
greedy beaks. A number of Marabou storks had 
also arrived, and were standing proudly among the 
crowd of vultures, preparing to perform the duty of 
' sextons, when the skin should become sufficiently 
decomposed. Throughout all the countries that I had 
traversed, these birds were in enormous numbers. 
A question has been frequently discussed whether 
the vulture is directed to his prey by the sense of 
smell, or by keenness of vision ; I have paid much 
attention to their habits, and, although there can be 
no question that their power of scent is great, I feel 
convinced that all birds of prey are attracted to 
their food principally by their acutenesss of sight. 
If a vulture were blind, it would starve ; but were 
the nostrils plugged up with some foreign substance 
to destroy its power of smell, it would not materially 
interfere with its usual mode of hunting. Scent is 
always stronger near the surface of the ground ; thus 
hyaenas, lions, and other beasts of prey will scent a 
carcase from a great distance, provided they are to 
leeward; but the same animals would be unaware of 
the presence of the body if they were but a short 
distance to windward. 

If birds of prey trusted to their nostrils, they 
would keep as near the ground as possible, like the 
carrion crow, which I believe is the exception that 
proves the rule. It is an astonishing sight to witness 
the sudden arrival of vultures at the death of an 
animal, when a few moments before not a bird has 


CHAP. XIX.] 


HABITS OF VULTURES. 


493 


been in sight in the cloudless sky. I have frequently 
lain down beneath a bush after having shot an animal, 
to watch the arrival of the various species of birds 
in regular succession ; they invariably appear in the 
following order :— 

No. 1, the black and white crow : this knowing 
individual is most industrious in seeking for his food, 
and is generally to be seen either perched upon rocks 
or upon trees ; I believe he trusts much to his sense of 
smell, as he is never far from the ground, at the same 
time he keeps a vigilant look out with a very sharp 
pair of eyes. 

No. 2 is the common buzzard: this bird, so well 
known for its extreme daring, is omnipresent, and 
trusts generally to sight, as it will stoop at a piece of 
red cloth in mistake for flesh; thus proving that it 
depends more upon vision than smell. 

No 3 is the red-faced small vulture. 

No. 4 is the large bare-throated vulture. 

No. 5, the Marabou stork, sometimes accompanied 
by the adjutant. 

When employed in watching the habits of these 
birds, it is interesting to make the experiment of 
concealing a dead animal beneath a dense bush. This 
I have frequently done; in which case the vultures 
never find it unless they have witnessed its death ; 
if so, they will already have pounced in their descent 
while you have been engaged in concealing the body : 
they will then upon near approach discover it by the 
smell. But, if an animal is killed in thick grass. 


494 


THE MARABOU STORK. 


[chap. XIX 


eight or ten feet high, the vultures will seldom dis¬ 
cover it. I have frequently known the bodies of 
large animals, such as elephants and buffaloes, to lie 
for days beneath the shade of the dense nabbuk 
bushes, unattended by a single vulture; whereas, if 
visible, they would have been visited by these birds 
in thousands. 

Vultures and the Marabou stork fly at enormous 
altitudes. I believe that every species keeps to its 
own particular elevation, and that the atmosphere 
contains regular strata of birds of prey, who, invisible 
to the human eye at their enormous height, are con¬ 
stantly resting upon their wide-spread wings, and 
soaring in circles, watching with telescopic sight the 
world beneath. At that great elevation they are in 
an exceedingly cool temperature, therefore they re¬ 
quire no water; but some birds that make long flights 
over arid deserts, such as the Marabou stork, and the 
bustard, are provided with water-sacks; the former in 
an external bag a little below the throat, the latter 
in an internal sack, both of which carry a large 
supply. As the birds of prey that I have enumerated, 
invariably appear at a carcase in their regular succes¬ 
sion, I can only suggest that they travel from dif¬ 
ferent distances or altitudes. Thus, the Marabou 
stork would be farthest from the earth ; the large 
bare-necked vulture would be the next below him, 
followed by the red-faced vulture, the buzzard, and 
the crow that is generally about the surface. From 
their immense elevation, the birds of prey possess an 


chap, xix.] SIGHT, NOT SCENT , DIRECTS THE VULTURE. 495 

extraordinary field of vision ; and, although they are 
invisible from the earth, there can be no doubt that 
they are perpetually hunting in circles within sight of 
each other. Thus, should one bird discover some 
object upon the surface of the earth below, his 
sudden pounce would be at once observed and imitated 
by every vulture in succession. Should one vul¬ 
ture nearest the earth perceive a body, or even should 
he notice the buzzards collecting at a given point, he 
would at once become aware of a prey; his rush 
towards the spot would act like a telegraphic signal 
to others, that would be rapidly communicated to 
every vulture at successive airy stations. 

If an animal be skinned, the red surface will attract 
the vultures in an instant; this proves that their sight, 
and not their scent, has been attracted by an object 
that suggests biood. I have frequently watched them 
when I have shot an animal, and my people have 
commenced the process of skinning. At first, not a 
bird has been in sight, as I have lain on my back and 
gazed into the spotless blue sky ; but hardly has the 
skin been half withdrawn, than specks have appeared 
in the heavens, rapidly increasing. “ Caw, caw/' has 
been heard several times from the neighbouring 
bushes; the buzzards have swept down close to my 
people, and have snatched a morsel of clotted blood 
from the ground. The specks have increased to 
winged creatures, at the great height resembling flies, 
when presently a rushing sound behind me, like a 
whirlwind, has been followed by the pounce of a red- 


496 ABOTJ SEEN — 11 LAST BUT NOT LEAST .” [chap. xix. 

faced vulture, tliat has fallen from the heavens in 
haste with closed wings to the bloody feast, followed 
quickly by many of his brethren. The sky has be¬ 
come alive with black specks in the far-distant blue, 
with wings hurrying from all quarters. At length a 
coronet of steady, soaring vultures, forms a wide circle 
far above, as they hesitate to descend, but continue to 
revolve around the object of attraction. The great 
bare-necked vulture suddenly appears. The animal 
has been skinned, and the required flesh secured by 
the men ; we withdraw a hundred paces from the 
scene. A general rush and descent takes place; hun¬ 
dreds of hungry beaks are tearing at the offal. The 
great bare-necked vulture claims respect among the 
crowd; but another form has appeared in the blue 
sky, and rapidly descends. A pair of long, ungainly 
legs, hanging down beneath the enormous wings, now 
touch the ground, and Abou Seen (father of the teeth 
or beak, the Arab name for the Marabou) has arrived, 
and he stalks proudly towards the crowds, pecking his 
way with his. long bill through the struggling vul¬ 
tures, and swallowing the lions share of the repast. 
Abou Seen, last but not least, had arrived from the 
highest region, while others had the advantage of the 
start. This bird is very numerous through the Nile 
tributaries of Abyssinia, and may generally be seen 
perched upon the rocks of the water-side, watching 
for small fish, or any reptile that may chance to 
come within his reach. The well-known feathers 
are situated in a plume beneath the tail. 


chap, xix.] ROUTE TO NAHOOT GUDDABI. 49 J 

On 14th April we left our camp in the afternoon, 
and, after marching nine miles, during which we passed 
two small streams, flowing, like all others, from this 
point, west to the Atbara, we slept by a large pool in a 
third stream of considerable size. A waterfall flowed 
over a row of perpendicular basalt columns that sur¬ 
rounded a deep basin, resembling piles of ebony artifi¬ 
cially arranged. On the following morning we started 
before sunrise, and rode over the usual pathless burnt 
prairies, until we reached the base of Nahoot Guddabi, 
the mountain for which we had been steering. Eight 
miles farther, we arrived at Metemma, a Tokroori 
village, in the heart of the mountains, twenty-seven 
miles from our last resting-place, and fifty-one miles 
from our camp on the Salaam river. From this point 
to the river Salaam, the entire country slopes per¬ 
ceptibly to the west—the drainage being carried to 
the Atbara by numerous streams. The country that 
we had now entered, was inhabited exclusively by 
Tokrooris, although belonging to Abyssinia. They 
came out to meet us upon our arrival at the village, 
and immediately fraternised with those of our people 
that belonged to their tribe, from whom they quickly 
learnt all about us. They brought us a he-goat, 
together with milk and honey. The latter we had 
revelled in for some months past, as the countries 
through which we travelled, abounded with a supply 
in the rocks and hollow trees ; but the milk was a 
luxury, as our goats were nearly dry. The he-goat 
was a regular old patriarch of the flock, and, for those 
K K 


408 


ARRIVE AT THE ATBARA. 


[chap. XIX. 


who are fond of savoury food, it might have been a 
temptation, but as it exhaled a perfume that rendered 
its presence unbearable, we were obliged to hand it 
over as a present to our Tokrooris—even they turned 
up their noses at the offer. A. crowd of natives sur¬ 
rounded us, and the account of our travels was related 
with the usual excitement, amidst the ejaculations of 
the hearers, when they heard that we had been in the 
country of the Base, and had trusted ourselves in the 
power of Mek Mmmur. 

On the following morning we were off before sun¬ 
rise, and marched rapidly over a good path through 
low forest, at the foot of a range of hills; and after a 
journey of twenty miles, during which we had passed 
several small villages, and many brooks that flowed 
from the mountains, we arrived at our old friend,, the 
Atbara river, at the sharp angle as it issues from the 
mountains. At this place it was in its infancy. The 
noble Atbara, whose course we had tracked for 
hundreds of weary miles, and whose tributaries we 
had so carefully examined, was a second-class 
mountain torrent, about equal to the Royan, and not 
to be named in comparison with the Salaam or 
Angrab. The power of the Atbara depended entirely 
upon the western drainage of the Abyssinian Alps : 
of itself it was insignificant, until aided by the great 
arteries of the mountain chain. The junction of the 
Salaam at once changed its character ; and the Settite 
or Taccazzy completed its importance as the great 
river of Abyssinia, that has washed down the fertile 


CHAP. XIX.] 


EAST VIEW OF THE A TEAR A. 


499 


soil of those regions, to create the Delta of Lower 
Egypt; and to perpetuate that Delta by annual de¬ 
posits, that are now forming a new Egypt beneath 
the waters of the Mediterranean . We had seen the 
Atbara a bed of glaring sand—a mere continuation of 
the burning desert that surrounded its course, fringed 
by a belt of withered trees, like a monument sacred 
to the memory of a dead river. We had seen the 
sudden rush of waters when, in the still night, the 
mysterious stream had invaded the dry bed, and 
swept all before it like an awakened giant; we knew 
at that moment “ the rains were falling in Abyssinia/’ 
although the sky above us was without a cloud. We 
had subsequently witnessed that tremendous rainfall, 
and seen the Atbara at its grandest flood. We had 
traced each river, and crossed each tiny stream that fed 
the mighty Atbara from the mountain chain, and we 
now, after our long journey, forded the Atbara in its 
infancy, hardly knee-deep] over its rocky bed of about 
sixty yards width, and camped in the little village 
of Toganai, on the rising ground upon the opposite 
side. It was evening, and we sat upon an angarep 
among the lovely hills that surrounded us, and looked 
down upon the Atbara for the last time, as the sun 
sank behind the rugged mountain of Eas el Feel 
(the elephant’s head). Once more I thought of that 
wonderful river Nile, that could flow for ever through 
the exhausting deserts of sand, while the Atbara, 
during the summer months, shrank to a dry skeleton, 
although the powerful affluents, the Salaam and the 
K K 2 


500 the ATBARA EXPLORATION COMPLETED, [chap. xix. 

Settite, never ceased to flow; every drop of their 
waters was evaporated by the air, and absorbed by the 
desert sand in the bed of the Atbara, two hundred 
miles above its junction with the Nile ! 

The Atbara exploration was completed; and I 
looked forward to the fresh enterprise of new rivers 
and lower latitudes, that should unravel the mystery 
of the Nile! 


CHAPTER XX. 


ARRIVAL AT METEMMA, OR GALLABAT. 

We left the village of Toganai at 5 a.m. and, after 
a rapid march of sixteen miles, we came in view of 
Metemma, or Gallabat, in the bottom of a valley sur¬ 
rounded by hills, and backed on the east by the range 
of mountains of which Nahoot Guddabi formed the 
extremity of a spur. As we descended the valley, 
we perceived great crowds of people in and about the 
town, which, in appearance, was merely a repetition 
of Katariff. It was market-day, and as we descended 
the hill and arrived in the scene below, with our nine 
camels heavily laden with the heads and horns of a 
multitude of different beasts, from the gaping jaws 
of hippopotami to the vicious-looking heads of 
rhinoceros and buffalo, while the skins of lions and 
various antelopes were piled above masses of the 
much-prized hide of the rhinoceros, we were beset by 
crowds of people who were curious to know whence 
so strange a party had appeared. We formed a 
regular procession through the market, our Tokrooris 
feeling quite at home among so many of their brethren. 
Upon arrival at the extremity of the valley, we were 


502 


POISONOUS WATER. 


[chap. XX. 


horribly disgusted at the appearance of the water. A 
trifling stream of about two inches in depth trickled 
over a bed of sand, shaded by a grove of trees. The 
putrefying bodies of about half a dozen donkeys, three 
or four camels, and the remains of a number of horses, 
lay in and about the margin of the water. Never¬ 
theless, the natives had scraped small holes in the sand, 
as filters, and thus they were satisfied with this 
poisonous fluid; in some of these holes, the women 
were washing their filthy clothes. I immediately de¬ 
termined to follow up stream, until I should arrive 
at some clear spot above these horrible impurities, that 
were sufficient to create a pestilence. Ascending the 
rising ground, I found on the summit, at about half 
a mile distant, an immense sycamore (Ficus sycamo- 
rus), whose green and wide - spreading branches 
afforded a tempting shade. Not far from this spot, 1 
found the bed of a dry torrent that flowed into the 
poisoned stream of Gallabat. I ordered my men to 
dig a deep hole in the sand, which fortunately dis¬ 
covered clear and good-flavoured water. We imme¬ 
diately pitched tents close to the sycamore. From 
this elevation, about a hundred and fifty feet above 
Gallabat, we had a beautiful view of the amphitheatre 
of hills and mountains, while the crowded town lay 
below, as in the bottom of a basin. The Atbara was 
not far distant, in the ravine between the hill ranges,, 
as it had made a sharp angle at Toganai, and altered 
its direction to the north. 

Our arrival had made some stir in Gallabat, and 


CIIAP. XX.] 


THE TRADE OF ABYSSINIA. 


503 


many people Lad followed us, and stared with much 
curiosity at the collection of hunting trophies. 
Among our visitors was an Abyssinian merchant, 
Jusef, whose acquaintance I had formerly made at 
Cassala; he was an agreeable and well-informed man, 
who had been to Paris and London, and spoke French 
and English tolerably. I accompanied him for a stroll 
through the market, and was introduced by him to a 
number of the principal Abyssinian merchants. The 
principal trade of Gallabat, which is the market¬ 
place for all commerce between Abyssinia and the 
Egyptian provinces, is in cotton, coffee, bees’-wax, and 
hides. Coffee is brought in large quantities by the 
Abyssinian merchants, who buy cotton in exchange, 
for the manufacture of clothes according to their own 
fashion. I bought a quantity of excellent coffee at 
the rate of two dollars for thirty-five pounds, equal 
to about 2f d. a pound. Sheds were arranged in 
lines; these were occupied by the coffee-merchants 
with their stores, while a great stock of cotton in 
bales, to the number of some thousand, were piled 
in rows in an open space. Not far from the mass 
of goods, was a confusion of camels, asses, and mules 
that had formed the means of transport. I now met 
an Italian merchant, with whom I subsequently be¬ 
came intimately acquainted, Signor Angelo Bolognesi 

_he had arrived from Khartoum to purchase 

coffee and bees’-wax. We were delighted to meet 
a civilized European after so long an absence. For 
some months we had had little intercourse with 


504 WE ENCOUNTER MISSIONARIES. [chap. xx. 

any human beings beyond the hunters that had 
composed our party, in countries that were so wild 
and savage, that the print of a naked foot upon the 
sand had instinctively brought the rifle upon full 
cock. Our European society was quickly increased : 
two German missionaries had arrived, en route for 
an establishment that had been set on foot in the 
heart of Abyssinia, under the very nose of the King 
Theodore, who regarded missionaries as an unsavoury 
odour. Both were suffering from fever, having fool¬ 
ishly located themselves in a hut close to the foul 
stench of dead animals on the margin of the polluted 
stream, the water of which they drank. One of these 
preachers was a blacksmith, whose iron constitution 
had entirely given way, and the little strength that 
remained, he exhausted in endless quotations of texts 
from the Bible, which he considered applicable to 
every trifling event or expression. I regretted that I 
could not agree with him in the propriety of invading 
Abyssinia with Bible extracts, as the natives attached 
as great importance to their own particular form of 
Christianity, as any other of the numerous sects that 
unhappily divide that beautiful religion into schisms ; 
any fresh dogma introduced by strangers might de¬ 
stroy the union of the Abyssinian Church, and would 
be not only a source of annoyance to the priesthood, 
but would most probably influence them and the king 
against all Europeans. 

The blacksmith assured me that, the special mission 
upon which he was employed, was the conversion of 


chap, xx.] THE THEOLOGICAL BLACKSMLTH. 505 

the Abyssinian Jews. I suggested that we had a few 
Jews in England, that might offer a fair field for an 
experiment at home, before we commenced at so 
distant a country as Abyssinia; but I could not per¬ 
suade the blacksmith, whose head was as hard as his 
anvil; he had fully persuaded himself that the word 
of God (according to his own translation of it) was 
the hammer with which, scion son metier , he was to 
drive his views of the truth into the thick skulls of 
the people. If he could twist iron, and hammer a 
ploughshare into a sword, or reverse the form, why 
should he be unable to effect a change in their 

O 

opinions ? It was perfectly useless to continue the 
argument; but I prophesied trouble, as the king was 
already discontented, and an influx of missionaries 
would not improve his humour. I advised him to 
stick to his trade, which would obtain for him far 
more respect than preaching. He replied, that “ the 
word of God must be preached in all countries; that 
the Apostle Paul had encountered dangers and diffi¬ 
culties, but, nevertheless, he had preached to, and 
converted the heathen,” &c. 

Whenever I have met an exceedingly ignorant mis¬ 
sionary, he has invariably compared himself to the 
Apostle Paul. In half an hour I found, that I was 
conversing with St. Paul in the person of the black¬ 
smith. Whether this excellent apostle is among the 
captives in Abyssinia at the present moment, I do not 
know; but, if so, their memory of the Bible will be 
continually refreshed by quotations, which fly from 


506 


THE MISSIONARIES' MEDICINE CHEST, [chap. xx. 


tlie tongue of the smith like sparks from his anvil, 
hi is companion was very ill, and incapable of moving. 

1 went to see the poor fellow upon several occasions, 
and found him suffering from dysentery and diseased 
liver. These excellent but misguided people had a 
first-rate medicine-chest, filled with useful drugs and 
deadly poisons, that had been provided for them 
cheaply, by the agent for their society at Cairo, who 
had purchased the stock-in-trade of a defunct doctor. 
This had been given to the missionaries, together with 
the caution that many of the bottles were not labelled, 
and that some contained poison. Thus provided with 
a medicine-chest that they did not comprehend, and 
with a number of Bibles printed in the Tigre lan¬ 
guage which they did not understand, they were pre¬ 
pared to convert the Jews, who could not read. The 
Bibles were to be distributed as the word of God, like 
“ seed thrown upon the wayside; ” and the medicines, 
I trust, were to be kept locked up in the chest, as 
their distribution might have been fatal to the poor 
Jews. These worthy and well-meaning missionaries 
were prepared to operate mentally and physically 
upon the Abyssinians, to open their minds as well as 
their bowels; but as their own (not their minds) 
were out of order, I was obliged to assist them by an 
examination of their medicine-chest, which they had 
regarded with such dread and suspicion, that, although 
dangerously ill, they had not dared to attempt a 
dose. This medicine-chest accompanied them like a 
pet dog suspected of hydrophobia, which they did not 


chap, xx.] JEMMA—SHEIK OF THE TOKROORIS. 


507 

like to part with, and were yet afraid to touch. I 
labelled the poisons, and weighed out some doses, that 
in a few days considerably relieved them; at the same 
time I advised the missionaries to move to a healthier 
locality, and to avoid the putrid water. 

On the day following our arrival, I paid a visit 
to the Sheik of Gallabat—Jemma. He was ill, as 
were most people. They were too much accustomed 
to the use of the filthy water to trouble themselves 
about a pure supply; thus, a frightful amount of 
sickness was prevaleut among all classes. The Sheik 
Jemma was a Tokroori, and as these people hate the 
Turks or Egyptians, although fanatical Mussulmans, 
he was exceedingly cold when he read my firman, 
that I had produced as a passport. He replied to my 
demand for assistance in men and camels, that “ this 
was Abyssinia, and the firman of the Viceroy of 
Egypt was a bad introduction, as the Egyptians forced 
them to pay tribtile at the point of the bayonet, 
a]though they had no right to enter this country 
they paid taxes willingly to the King of Abyssinia, 
as he had the right to exact them. I explained that, 
I was an Englishman, and no Turk, but that, as I had 
travelled through the dominions of the Viceroy, I had 
been favoured with the sign-manual of his excellency 
Said Pasha, and I narrated in a few words the object 
of our expedition. He paid very little attention, and 
merely asked me, if I could send him some goat’s 
milk, as he was very ill. I was astonished at such 
a request, as there were great numbers of these 


, r '08 THE EGYPTIANS ATTACK GALLABAT. [chap. xx. 

animals in the neighbourhood ; but he explained that, 
his doctor had ordered him to drink the milk of a 
black goat, and he had heard that I had two of that 
colour. I promised him a supply, and he agreed 
to assist me in engaging camels and fresh men, as I 
had formerly arranged with my people that their term 
of service should expire upon our arrival at Gallabat 
or Metemma The latter name merely signifies “ the 
capital ” as many places are designated by the same 
word, it creates much confusion. 

The Sheik Jemma was the successor of Hamed, who 
formerly governed the Tokrooris, The Egyptians had 
captured Hamed three years previously, during which 
time he had been imprisoned in Cairo. Upon his 
release, he wrote to Jemma (who had governed pro 
tempore) to prepare for his arrival; but Jemma had 
no intention of vacating his seat, and he replied by 
an impertinent message. Hamed immediately applied 
to the Governor-General of the Soudan for assistance, 
declaring himself to be the subject of Egypt. Having 
obtained a powerful force, he advanced upon Gallabat 
and attacked Jemma, who came out to meet him. 
This happened about three months before our arrival. 
In a pitched battle, the Tokrooris were defeated with 
great loss, and Jemma, with the greater portion of the 
population, sought the assistance of Theodore, the 
king of Abyssinia. Theodore summoned the rival 
sheiks before him, and deckled that, as Hamed had 
appealed to Egypt for assistance, he should lose his 
seat, and remain a prisoner in Abyssinia. Accord- 


ctiap. xx.] SETTLEMENT OF THE TOKROORIS. 501) 

ingly, Jemma was declared to be tbe governor of the 
town of Gallabat, and the sheik over all Tokrooris. 

The Tokrooris are natives of Darfur, that were 
converted to Mahometanism after the conquest of 
Northern Africa by the Arabs. They are governed 
by a sultan in their own country, who strictly pro¬ 
hibits the entrance of white men; thus Darfur re¬ 
mains impenetrable to civilization. That country is 
extremely arid and unfruitful ; thus, as the pilgrims 
journeyed towards Mecca from their own inhospitable 
soil, they passed through a land flowing with milk 
and honey, with excellent pasturage and fertile soil, 
in the district of Gallabat. As first settlements of 
man have always been caused by some local attrac¬ 
tion and advantage, so the Tokroori pilgrims, on their 
return from Mecca, originally rested from the fatigues 
of their journey in the neighbourhood of Gallabat, as 
a country preferable to their own. The establishment 
of a few settlers formed a nucleus, and, as successive 
pilgrimages to Mecca were annually undertaken from 
Darfur, the colony rapidly increased by the settlement 
of the returned pilgrims. Thus commenced the esta¬ 
blishment of a new tribe upon foreign soil, and, as 
the numbers of settlers increased to an important 
amount, permission was granted by the King of Abys¬ 
sinia that they should occupy this portion of his ter¬ 
ritory, upon payment of taxes as his subjects. The 
Tokrooris are a fine, powerful race, exceedingly black, 
and of the negro type, but differing from all negroes 
that I have hitherto known, as they are particu- 


510 INDUSTRY OF THE TOKROORIS. [chap. xx. 

larly industrious. They are great drunkards, very 
quarrelsome, and are bad servants, as, although they 
will work hard for themselves, they will do as little 
as they can for their master. They are seldom un¬ 
employed ; and, while the Arab may be seen lazily 
stretched under the shade of a tree, the Tokroori will 
be spinning cotton, or working at something that will 
earn a few piastres. Even during the march, I have 
frequently seen my men gather the cotton from some 
deserted bush, and immediately improvise a spindle, 
by sticking a reed through a piece of camel-dung, with 
which they would spin the wool into thread, as they 
walked with the caravan. My Tokrooris had never 
been idle during the time they had been in my service, 
but they were at work in the camp during every spare 
minute, either employed in making sandals from ele¬ 
phant’s or buffalo’s hide, or whips and bracelets from 
the rhinoceros skin, which they cleverly polished. 
Upon our arrival at Gallabat, they had at least a 
camel-load of all kinds of articles they had manu¬ 
factured. On the following morning I had found 
them sitting in the market-place, having established 
stalls, at which they were selling all the various tro¬ 
phies of their expedition—fat,’ hides, whips, sandals, 
bracelets, &c. 

The district inhabited by the Tokrooris is about 
forty miles in length, including a population of about 
twenty thousand. Throughout the country, they have 
cultivated cotton to a considerable extent, notwith¬ 
standing the double taxes enforced by both Abys- 


-chap xx.] WEAPONS, TYPE , AND CHARACTER. 51 J 

sinians and Egyptians, and their gardens are kept 
with extreme neatness. Although of the negro type, 
the Tokrooris have not the flat nose; the lips are full, 
but not to be compared with those of the negroes of 
West Africa; neither is the jaw prognathous. The 
men are extremely independent in manner. They are 
armed with lances of various patterns; their favourite 
weapon is a horrible instrument barbed with a dia¬ 
bolical intention, as it can neither be withdrawn nor 
pushed completely through the body, but, if once in 
the flesh, there it must remain. This is called the 
•chimbane ; it is usually carried with two other lances 
with plain heads. The Tokrooris despise shields; 
therefore, in spite of their superior personal strength, 
they would be no match for the Arabs. 

There is a curious weapon, the trombash, that is 
used by these people, somewhat resembling the Aus¬ 
tralian boomerang; it is a piece of flat, hard wood, 
about two feet in length, the end of which turns 
sharply at an angle of about 30°. They throw this 
with great dexterity, and inflict severe wounds with 
the hard and sharp edge ; but, unlike the boomerang, 
the weapon does not return to the thrower. 

The women are very powerful, but exceedingly 
jdain. They are good workers, and may be constantly 
seen either spinning or weaving; they keep their huts 
remarkably clean, and are rarely idle. 

The greater portion of the cotton exhibited in the 
market of Gallabat is produced by the Tokrooris; it 
is uncleaned, and simply packed in mat bales of a 


512 


THE COLONIZATION BY TOKROORIS. [chap, xx- 


hundred pounds weight, which at that date, April, 
1862, sold for one dollar each. 

Much might be done to improve these peculiar 
people. Were the frontiers of Abyssinia positively 
determined, and security insured to the new settlers, 
the whole of that magnificent country through which 
we had travelled between the Settite and Gallabat 
might be peopled and cultivated. In many countries, 
both soil and climate may be favourable for the 
cultivation of cotton; but such natural advantages 
may be neutralised either by the absence of population, 
or by the indolence of the natives. The Tokroori is 
a most industrious labourer; and, were he assured of 
protection and moderate taxation, he would quickly 
change the character of those fertile lands, that are 
now uninhabited, except by wild animals. If the 
emigration of Tokrooris from Darfur were encouraged, 
and advantages offered to settlers, by grants of land 
for a short term exempt from taxation, at a future 
time to bear a certain rate per acre, a multitude of 
emigrants would quit their own inhospitable country, 
and would people the beautiful waste lands of the 
Settite and the Salaam. These countries would pro¬ 
duce an important supply of cotton, that might be 
delivered at Souakim at an exceedingly low rate, and 
find a market in England. Not only would the Tok¬ 
rooris benefit by the change, but, should it be decided 
that the Abyssinian frontier, instead of extending to 
the Atbara river, should be confined to the ridge of 
the great mountain chain, the revenues of Upper 


CHAP. XX.] 


HONEY WINE OF ABYSSINIA. 


513 


Egypt might he enormously increased by the esta¬ 
blishment of a Tokroori colony, as proposed. 

I paid all my Tokrooris their wages, and I gave 
them an entertainment after their own taste, by pur¬ 
chasing several enormous bowls of honey wine. The 
Abyssinians are celebrated for this drink, which is 
known as “ tetch.” It is made of various strengths ; 
that of good quality should contain, in ten parts, two 
of honey and eight of water; but, for a light wine, 
one of honey, and nine of water is very agreeable. 
There is a plant of an intoxicating quality known by 
the Abyssinians as “jershooa,” the leaves of which 
are added to the tetch while in a state of fermentation ; 
a strong infusion of these leaves will render the tetch 
exceedingly heady, but without this admixture the 
honey wine is by no means powerful. In our subse¬ 
quent journey in Central Africa, I frequently made 
the tetch by a mixture of honey and water, flavoured 
with wild thyme and powdered ginger; fermentation 
was quickly produced by the addition of yeast from 
the native beer, and the wine, after six or eight days, 
became excellent, but never very strong, as we could 
not procure the leaves of the jershooa. 

My Arabs and Tokrooris enjoyed themselves amaz¬ 
ingly, and until late at night they were playing 
rababas (guitars) and howling in thorough happiness; 
but on the following morning at sunrise I was dis¬ 
turbed by Wat Gamma, who complained that, during 
the night some person had stolen three dollars, that had 
for some months been carefully sewn up in his clothes ; 


L L 


514 ALL DRUNK LAST NIGHT. [chai>. xx. 

lie exhibited the garment that bore the unmistakeable 
impression of the dollars, and the freshly-cut ends of 
the thread proved that it had been ripped open very 
recently. Of course I was magistrate, and in all cases 
I was guided by my own code of laws, being at some 
thousand miles from an Act of Parliament. 

Wat Gamma had no suspicion of any person in par¬ 
ticular, but his money had evidently been stolen. 

“ Who was drunk last night 1” I inquired. “ We 
were all drunk,” replied the plaintiff. “ Who was very 
drunk, and who was the least drunk ? ” I inquired. 
This entailed a discussion among the people who had 
now assembled. It appeared that most of them had 
been “ very drunk others only a little drunk; and 
one old white-headed Arab camel-driver had been 
perfectly sober, as he never drank anything but water. 
This was old Mini, a splendid specimen of a fine 
partriarchal Arab; he declared that he had not even 
joined the party. Wat Gamma had left his garment 
rolled up in the mat, upon which he usually slept; this 
was in the same spot where the camel-drivers lived, and 
where old Mini declared he was fast asleep during the 
drinking bout. 

I had my suspicions, but to express them would 
have defeated the chance of discovery. I therefore 
adopted my usual rule in cases of theft. I counted my 
people : nine camel-men, five Tokrooris, Taher Noor, 
and Bacheet; in all sixteen, without Wat Gamma. 
Three dollars were sixty piastres,—sixty divided by 
sixteen equalled three piastres and thirty paras. Thus 


CHAP. XX.] 


THE THIEF DISCOVERED. 


515 


I condemned the whole party to make np the loss, by 
each paying his share of the amount stolen, unless the 
thief could be discovered. 

This plan was generally successful, as the thief was 
the only man contented with the arrangement. Every 
innocent man became a detective, as he was deter¬ 
mined not to pay a fine for another’s theft. A tremen¬ 
dous row took place, every one was talking and no one 
listening, and the crowd went away from my court of 
justice, determined to search the affair to the bottom. 

In about half an hour they all returned, with the 
exception of old Mini; they had searched everywhere, 
and had found three dollars concealed in the stuffing 
of a camel’s saddle, that belonged to Mini. He was 
the sober man, who had been asleep while the others 
were drinking. I considered the case proved ; and 
Mini, having confessed, requested that I would flog 
him rather than deliver him to the Tokroori authorities, 
who would imprison him and take away his camel. I 
told him that I would not disgrace his tribe by flog- 
<y[na one of their oldest men, but that I should take 

too 

him before the Sheik of Gallabat, and fine him the 
amount that he had stolen. This I immediately did, 
and Mini handed over to Jemma with great reluctance, 
three dollars for the poor-box of Gallabat, or the private 
pocket of the sheik, as the case may be. 

On my return to camp I visited the establish¬ 
ments of the various slave merchants: these were 
arranged under large tents formed of matting, and 
-contained many young girls of extreme beauty, 
L L 2 


516 


FENUSES OF THE GALL A. 


[chap. XX. 


ranging from nine to seventeen years of age. These 
lovely captives, of a rich brown tint, with delicately 
formed features, and eyes like those of the gazelle, 
were natives of the Galla, on the borders of Abys¬ 
sinia, from which country they were brought by 
the Abyssinian traders to be sold for the Turkish 
harems. Although beautiful, these girls are useless, 
for hard labour; they quickly fade away and die 
unless kindly treated. They are the Yenuses of that 
country, and not only are their faces and figures per¬ 
fection, but they become extremely attached to those 
who show them kindness, and they make good and 
faithful wives. There is something peculiarly cap¬ 
tivating in the natural grace and softness of these* 
young beauties, whose hearts quickly respond to 
those warmer feelings of love that are seldom known 
among the sterner and coarser tribes. Their forms* 
are peculiarly elegant and graceful—the hands and 
feet are exquisitely delicate; the nose is generally 
slightly aquiline, the nostrils large and finely shaped ; 
the hair is black and glossy, reaching to about the- 
middle of the back, but rather coarse in texture. 
These girls, although natives of Galla, invariably 
call themselves Abyssinians, and are generally known 
under that denomination. They are exceedingly 
proud and high-spirited, and are remarkably quick 
at learning. At Khartoum, several of the Europeans* 
of high standing have married these charming ladies,, 
who have invariably rewarded their husbands by 
great affection and devotion. The price of one of 


CHA1 


WE LEAVE GALLABAT. 


r. xx.] 


517 


these beauties of nature at Gallabat was from twenty- 
five to forty dollars. 

On the 24tli April we were refreshed by a shower 
of rain, and in a few days the grass sprang from the 
ground several inches high. There was an unpleasant 
dampness in the air, and, although the rainy season 
would not commence until June, showers would occa¬ 
sionally fall among the mountains throughout the 
month of May. I accordingly purchased a number of 
large tanned ox-hides, that are rendered waterproof by 
a preparation with milk. These skins cost the trifling 
sum of nine piastres each (not two shillings), and 
were subsequently of great value during our White 
Nile expedition, as coverlets during the night's 
bivouac, &c. 

The horse-fair was a disappointment. At this season 
the entire country in the neighbourhood of Gallabat 
was subject to an epidemic, fatal to these animals; 
therefore there were no good horses present. I had 
nothing to detain me at this place, after having pro¬ 
cured fresh camels, therefore I paid all my people, and 
we parted excellent friends. To the Arabs and Tok- 
rooris I gave all the hides of rhinoceros, elephants, &c. 
that I did not require, and, with our loads considerably 
lightened, we started from Gallabat, 12.30 p.m., 28th 
April, 1862, and marched due west towards the river 
Rahad. The country was hilly and well wooded, the 
rocks were generally sandstone, and after a march of 
three hours we halted at a Tokroori village. I never 
witnessed more unprovoked insolence than was exhi- 


518 A ROW WITH THE TOKROORIS. [chap. xx. 

bited by these people. They considered me to be a 
Turk, to whom their natural hatred had been in¬ 
creased by the chastisement they had lately received 
from the Egyptians. It was in vain that my two lads, 
Wat Gamma and Bacheet, assured them that I was an 
Englishman : they had never heard of such a country as 
England ; in their opinion, a white man must be a 
Turk. Not contented with refusing all supplies, they 
assembled in large numbers and commenced a quarrel 
with my men, several of whom were Tokrooris that 
I had hired to accompany us to Khartoum. These 
men, being newly engaged and entirely strange, were 
of little service ; but, having joined in the quarrel, like 
true Tokrooris who are always ready for a row, the 
altercation grew so hot that it became rather serious. 
The natives determined that we should not remain in 
their village, and, having expressed a threat to turn us 
out, they assembled around us in a large crowd with 
their lances and trombashes. My wife was sitting by 
me upon an angarep, when the people closed around 
my men, and one very tall specimen of a Tokroori 
came forward, and, snatching a knife from its sheath 
that was worn upon the arm of my servant, he chal¬ 
lenged him to fight. As Tokrooris are always more or 
less under the influence of drink, their fights are gene¬ 
rally the effect of some sudden impulse. It was neces¬ 
sary to do something, as the crowd were determined 
upon a row; this was now commenced by their 
leader, who was eyeing me from head to foot with 
most determined insolence, holding the knife in his. 


chap, xx.] TOKROORI CHAMPION INSISTS ON FIGHTING. 519 

hand that he had taken from my man. I therefore 
rose quietly from my seat, and, approaching him to 
within a convenient distance for striking, if necessary, 
I begged him very politely to leave my people to them¬ 
selves, as we should depart on the following morning. 
He replied with great impertinence, and insisted upon 
fighting one or all of our party. I accommodated him 
without a moment’s delay, as, stepping half a pace 
backwards, I came in with a left and right as fast as a 
rapid double-hit could be delivered, with both blows 
upon his impudent mouth. In an instant he was on 
his back, with his heels in the air ; and, as I prepared 
to operate upon his backer, or upon any bystander who 
might have a penchant for fighting, the crowd gave 
way, and immediately devoted * themselves to their 
fallen companion, who lay upon the ground in stupid 
astonishment, with his fingers down his throat search¬ 
ing for a tooth ; his eyes were fixed upon my hands 
to discover the weapon with which he had been 
wounded. His friends began to wipe the blood from 
his face and clothes, and at this juncture, the sheik of 
the village appeared for the first time. 

To my astonishment he was extremely civil ; a 
sudden reaction had taken place, the Tokrooris had had 
their row, and were apparently satisfied. The sheik 
begged me not to kill his people by hitting them, 
“ as they were mere chickens, who would at once die 
if I were to strike them with my fist.” I begged him 
to keep his “ chickens ” in better order, and at once to 
order them away from our immediate neighbourhood. 


520 A REAL FLAT-NOSED AFRICAN NIGGER . [chap. xx. 

In a few minutes the sheik drove the crowd away, 
who picked up their man and led him off. The sheik 
then begged us to accept a hut for the night, and he 
paid us every attention. 

On the following morning, we left shortly after 
sunrise; the natives very civilly assisted to load our 
camels, and among the most active, was my fighting 
friend of yesterday, who, with his nose and mouth 
all swollen into one, had been rapidly converted from 
a well-featured Tokroori into a real thick-lipped, 
flat-nosed African nigger, with prognathous jaw, that 
would have delighted the Ethnological Society. 

“April 29.—It rained hard during the night. Our 
course was due west, along the banks of a hor, from 
which the natives procure water by sinking wells 
about twelve feet deep in the sandy bed, which is dry 
in the hot season. Throughout this country the water 
is bad. At 11 a.m. we reached Boumele; this is 
the last village between Gallabat and the river 
Bahad. The natives say that, there is no water on 
the road, and their accounts of the distance are so 
vague and contradictory that I cannot rely upon 
the information. 

“ I could procure only one water-skin, and none 
of my old stock were serviceable ; I therefore arranged 
to water all the animals, and push on throughout the 
night, by which plan I hoped to arrive by a forced 
march at the Bahad on the following morning, without 
exhausting both men and beasts by a long journey 
through an unknown distance in the heat of the sun. 


CHAr. XX.] DEATH OF AGGAHR AND GAZELLE. 521 

Hardly were the horses watered at a well in the dry 
bed of the stream, when Aggahr was taken ill with in¬ 
flammation. I left two men to attend upon him, with 
orders to bring him on if better on the following day : 
we started on our journey, but we had not proceeded 
a quarter of a mile when Gazelle, that I was riding, was 
also seized with illness, and fell down; with the 
greatest difficulty I led the horse back again to the 
village. My good old hunter Aggahr died in great 
agony a few minutes after our return, and Gazelle died 
during the night; the natives declared this to be the 
horse sickness that was annually prevalent at this 
season. The disease appeared to be inflammation of 
the bowels, which I attributed to the sudden change of 
food ; for months past they had lived principally upon 
dry grass, but within the past few days they had 
greedily eaten the young herbage that had appeared 
after a few showers ; with this, may have been poison¬ 
ous plants that they had swallowed unawares. We had 
now only one horse, Tetel, that was ridden by my wife; 
I therefore determined to start on foot on the follow¬ 
ing morning, and to set the pace at four miles an hour, 
so as to reach the Eahad by a forced march in one 
rapid stretch, and thus to eke out our scanty supply of 
water. Accordingly we started, and marched at that 
rate for ten hours, including a halt when half-way, to 
rest for one hour and a half. Throughout the distance, 
the country was a dead flat of the usual rich soil, 
covered with mimosa forest. We marched thirty-four 
miles, steering due west for a distant hill, which in 


522 


FORCED MARCH TO THE RAHAD. [chap. xx. 


the morning had been a faint bine streak upon the 
horizon. 

“Upon our arrival at the hill we found that the 
river, was some miles beyond, while a fine rugged 
mountain that we had seen for two days previous, 
rose about fifteen miles south of this point, and formed 
an unmistakeable landmark ; the name of this moun¬ 
tain is Hallowa. We had marched with such rapidity 
across this stretch of thirty-four miles, that our men 
were completely exhausted from thirst, as they had 
foolishly drunk their share of water at the middle of 
the journey, instead of reserving it for the moment of 
distress. Upon arrival at the Kahad they rushed 
down the steep bank, and plunged into the clear water 
of the river. 

“ The Kahad does not exceed eighty or ninety yards 
in breadth. The rain that had recently fallen in the 
mountain had sent a considerable stream down the 
hitherto dry bed, although the bottom was not entirely 
covered. By dead reckoning, this point of the river is 
fifty-five miles due west from Gallabat or Metemma ; 
throughout this distance we had seen no game, neither 
the tracks of any animals except giraffes. We were 
rather hard up for provisions, therefore I took my rod, 
and tried for a fish in a deep pool below the spot 
where we had pitched the tent. I only had one run, 
but I fortunately landed a handsome little baggar 
about twelve pounds weight, which afforded us a good 
dinner. The river Dinder is between fifty and sixty 
miles from the Kahad at this point, but towards the 


CIIAP. XX.] 


THE RIVER RAH AD. 


523 


north the two rivers approximate closely, and keep 
a course almost parallel. The hanks of the Eahad 
are in many places perpendicular, and are about 
forty-five feet above the bed. This river flows 
through rich alluvial soil; the country is a vast 
level plain, with so trifling a fall that the current of 
the river is gentle ; the course is extremely circuitous, 
and although, when bank full, the Rahad possesses 
a considerable volume, it is very inferior as a Nile 
tributary to any river that T have visited to the east 
of Gallabat ” 


CHAPTER XXL 

FERTILITY OF THE COUNTRY ON THE BANKS 
OF THE RAHAD. 

We daily followed the banks of the Rahad, the mono¬ 
tony of which I will not inflict upon the public. This 
country was a vast tract of wonderfully fertile prairie, 
that nearly formed an island, surrounded by the 
Rahad, Blue Nile, Great Nile, and Atbara; it was 
peopled by various tribes of Arabs, who cultivated 
a considerable extent upon the banks of the Rahad, 
which, for upwards of a hundred miles to the north, 
were bordered with villages at short intervals. Cotton 
and tobacco were produced largely, and we daily met 
droves of camels laden with these goods, en route for 
the Abyssinian market. We had now fairly quitted 
Abyssinian territory, and upon our arrival at the 
Rahad we were upon the soil of Upper Egypt. I was 
much struck with the extraordinary size and condition 
of the cattle. Corn (dhurra) was so plentiful that it 
was to be purchased in any quantity for eight piastres 
the rachel, or about Is. 8 d. for 500 pounds ; pumpkins 
were in great quantities, with a description of gourd with 


chap, xxi.] JOURNEY ALONG THE RAUAD. 525 

an exceedingly strong shell, which is grown especially 
for howls and other utensils; camel loads of these gourd-* 
basins packed in conical crates were also journeying 
on the road towards Galiabat. Throughout the course 
of the Kaliad the banks are high, and, when full, the 
river would average forty feet in depth, with a gentle 
stream, the course free from rocks and shoals, and ad¬ 
mirably adapted for small steamers. 

The entire country would be a mine of wealth were 
it planted with cotton, which could be transported 
by camels to Katariff, and thence direct to Souakim. 
We travelled for upwards of a hundred miles along 
the river, through the unvarying scene of flat alluvial 
soil; the south bank was generally covered with low 
jungle. The Arabs were always civil, and formed a 
marked contrast to the Tokrooris; they were mostly 
of the Roofar tribe. Although there had been a 
considerable volume of water in the river at the point 
where we had first met it, the bed was perfectly dry 
about fifty miles farther north, proving the great 
power of absorption by the sand. The Arabs obtained 
water from deep pools in the river, similar to those in 
the Atbara, but on a small scale, of not sufficient 
importance to contain hippopotami, which at this 
season retired to the river Dinder. Wherever we slept 
we were besieged by gaping crowds of Arabs : these 
people were quite uuaccustomed to strangers, as the 
route we had chosen along the banks of the Rahad 
was entirely out of the line adopted by the native 
merchants and traders of Khaitoum, who travelled vid 


526 


RICH COUNTRY. 


[chap. XXI. 


Abou Harraz and Katariff to Gallabat. These Arabs 
were, as usual, perfectly wild, and ignorant of every¬ 
thing that did not immediately concern them. My 
compass had always been a source of wonder to the 
natives, and I was asked whether by looking into it I 
could distinguish the “ market days” of the different 
villages ? My own Tokrooris continually referred to 
me for information on various topics, and, if I declined 
to reply, they invariably begged me to examine my 
moondera (mirror), as they termed the compass, and see 
what it would say. This country swarmed with Arabs, 
and abounded in supplies; superb, fat oxen were 
seven dollars each ; large fowls were a penny; and 
eggs were at the rate of nine for a penny farthing. 

We arrived at a large village, Sherrem, on May 11, 
having marched 118 miles in a straight line along 
the course of the Raliad. The heat was extreme, but 
I had become so thoroughly accustomed to the sun 
that I did not feel it so much as my men, whose heads 
were covered with a thin cap of cotton (the tageea). 
My camel-men had expected to find their families at a 
village that we had passed about six miles from 
Sherrem, and they had been rejoicing in anticipation, 
but on arrival we found it deserted,—“ family out of 
town the men were quite dejected ; but upon arrival 
at Sherrem they found all their people, who had mi¬ 
grated for water, as the river was dry. We waited at 
Sherrem for a couple of days to rest the men, whose 
feet were much swollen with marching on the burn¬ 
ing soil. Although frequent showers had fallen at 


CHAP. XXI.] WE CROSS OVER TO THE EINDER. 527 

Gallabat, we had quickly entered the dry country upon 
steering north, where neither dew nor rain had moist¬ 
ened the ground for many months. The country was 
treeless on the north hank of the Rahad, and the rich 
alluvial soil was free from a single stone or pebble for 
many miles. Although for 118 miles we had travelled 
along the course of the Rahad, throughout this distance 
only one small brook furrowed the level surface and 
added its waters during the rainy season to the river; 
the earth absorbed the entire rainfall. Our camels 
were nearly driven mad by the flies which swarmed 
throughout the fertile districts. 

On the 15th of May we arrived at Kook, a small 
village on the banks of the Rahad, and on the follow¬ 
ing morning we started to the west for the river 
Dinder. The country was the usual rich soil, but 
covered with high grass and bush ; it was uninhabited, 
except by wandering Arabs and their flocks, that 
migrate at the commencement of the rainy season, 
when this land becomes a mere swamp, and swarms 
with the seroot fly. At 6.30 p.m. we halted, and 
slept on the road. This was the main route to 
Sennaar, from which place, strings of camels were 
passing to the Rahacl, to purchase corn. On 16th 
May, we started by moonlight at 4.30 a.m. due west, 
and at 7.30 a.m. we arrived at the river Dinder, 
which, at this point, was eighteen miles from the 
village of Kook, on the Rahad. 

We joined a camp of the Kunana Arabs, who 
at this season throng the banks of the Dinder. 


528 FEROCITY OF CROCODILES IN THAT RIVER, [ciiap. xxl 

This river is similar in character to the Rahad, but 
larger: the average breadth is about a hundred and 
ten yards; the banks are about fifty feet high, and 
the immediate vicinity is covered with thick jungle 
of nabbuk and thorny acacias, with a great quantity 
of the acacia arabica, that produces the garra, already 
described as valuable for tanning leather. I made 
ink with this fruit, pounded and boiled, to which 
I added a few rusty nails, and allowed it to stand 
for about twenty-four hours. The Dinder was ex¬ 
ceedingly deep in many places, although in others 
the bed was dry, with the exception of a most 
trifling stream that flowed through a narrow channel 
in the sand, about an inch in depth. The Arabs 
assured me that the crocodiles in this river were 
more dangerous than in any other, and their flocks 
of goats and sheep were attended by a great number 
of boys, to prevent the animals from descending to 
the water to drink, except in such places as had 
been prepared for them by digging small holes in 
the sand. I saw many of these creatures, of very 
large size; and, as I strolled along the banks of 
the river, I found a herd of hippopotami, of which 
I shot two, to the great delight of my people, who- 
had been much disappointed in the absence of game- 
throughout our journey from Gallabat. We had 
travelled upwards of 200 miles without having; 
seen so much as a gazelle, neither had w r e passed 
any tracks of large game, except, upon one occa¬ 
sion, those of a few giraffes. I had been told that 


chap, xxi.] CHARACTER OF THE BINDER. 529 

the Binder country was rich in game, but, at this 
season, it was swarming with Arabs, and was so 
much disturbed, that everything had left the coun¬ 
try, and the elephants merely drank during the 
night, and retreated to distant and impenetrable 
jungles. At night we heard a lion roar, but this, in¬ 
stead of being our constant nightingale, as upon the 
Settite river, was now an uncommon sound. The 
maneless lion is found on the banks of the Dinder; 
nil that I saw, in the shape of game, in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of that river and the Rahad, were a few 
hippopotami and crocodiles. The stream of the 
Dinder is obstructed with many snags and trunks 
of fallen trees that would be serious obstacles to 
rapid navigation: these are the large stems of the 
soont (Acacia Arabica ), that, growing close to the 
edge, have fallen into the river when the banks have 
given way. I was astonished at the absence of ele¬ 
phants in such favourable ground; for some miles I 
walked along the margin of the river without seeing 
a track of any date. Throughout this country, these 
animals are so continually hunted, that they have 
become exceedingly wary, and there can be little 
doubt that their numbers are much reduced. Even 
in the beautiful shooting country comprised between 
the river Gash and Gallabat, although we had excel¬ 
lent sport, I had been disappointed in the number of 
elephants, which I had expected to find in herds of 
many hundreds, instead of forty or fifty, which was the 
largest number that I had seen together. The habits 
M M 


530 ACTIVITY OF THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT . [chap. xxi. 

of all animals generally depend upon the nature of 
the localities they inhabit. Thus, as these countries 
were subject to long drought and scarcity of water, 
the elephants were, in some places, contented with 
drinking every alternate day. .Where they were much 
hunted by the aggageers, they would seldom drink 
twice consecutively in the same river; but, after 
a long draught in the Settite, they would march from 
twenty-five to thirty miles, and remain for a day 
between that river and the Mareb or Gash, to which 
they would hurry on the following night. At other 
times, these wily animals would drink in the Settite, 
and retire to the south; feeding upon Mek Nimmurs 
cornfields, they would hurry forward to the river 
Salaam, about thirty miles distant, and from thence, 
in a similar manner, either to the Atbara on one side, 
or into the Abyssinian mountains, where, at all times, 
they could procure a supply of water. I have fre¬ 
quently discovered fresh grains of dhurra in their 
dung, at a great distance from the nearest cornfield; 
when the rapid digestion of the elephant is considered, 
it must be allowed that the fresh dung found in the 
morning bore witness to the theft of corn during 
the past night; thus the elephant had marched many 
miles after feeding. In the “ Rifle and Hound in 
Ceylon,” published in 1854, I gave a detailed de~ 
scription of the elephants of that country, which, 
although peculiar in the general absence of tusks, 
are the same as the Indian species. 

Although the elephant is found throughout many 


CIIAF. XXI.J 


DISTINCTION OF SPECIES. 


531 


countries, extending over an enormous area, there 
are only two species at present in existence,—the 
Indian and the African; these are totally different 
in their habits, and are distinguished by peculiarities 
of form. The most striking difference is in the shape 
of the head and spine. The head of the Indian 
species is perfectly distinct; the forehead, when held 
in the natural position of inaction, is peipendicular; 
and above the slight convexity at the root of the 
trunk there is a depression, in shape like a herald’s 
shield; a bullet in the lower portion of that shield 
will reach the brain in a direct line. The head of 
the African elephant is completely convex from the 
commencement of the trunk to the back of the skull, 
and the brain is situated much lower than in that 
of the Indian species ; the bone is of a denser 
quality, and the cases for the reception of the tusks 
are so closely parallel, that there is barely room for 
a bullet to find a chance of penetrating to the brain; 
it must be delivered in the exact centre, and ex¬ 
tremely low, in the very root of the trunk; even 
then it will frequently pass above the brain, as the 
animal generally carries his head high, and thrown 
slightly back. The teeth of the African elephant differ 
materially from those of the Indian, by containing a 
lesser ]lumber of laminae or plates, the surfaces of 
which, instead of exhibiting strait and parallel lines 
like those of the Indian, are shaped in slight curves, 
wdiich increase the power of grinding. The ears of 
the African species are enormous, and when thrown 
mm2 


532 


PECULIARITY OF FORM. 


[chap. XXI. 


back, they completely cover the shoulders; they are 
also entirely different in shape from those of the 
Indian species. When an African bull elephant ad¬ 
vances in full charge with his ears cocked, his head 
measures about fourteen feet from the tip of one ear 
to that of the other, in a direct line across the fore¬ 
head. I have frequently cut off the ear to form a 
mat, upon which I have slept beneath the shade of a 
tree, while my people divided the animal. 

The back of the Indian elephant is exceedingly 
convex ; that of the African is exactly the reverse, 
and the concavity behind the shoulders is succeeded by 
a peculiarity in the sudden rise of the spine above the 
hips. The two species are not only distinct in certain 
peculiarities of form, but they differ in their habits. 
The Indian elephant dislikes the sun, and invariably 
retreats to thick shady forests at sunrise; but I have 
constantly found the African species enjoying them¬ 
selves in the burning sun in the hottest hours of the 
day, among plains of withered grass, many miles 
from a jungle. The African is more active than the 
Indian, and not only is faster in his movements, 
but is more capable of enduring long marches, as 
proved by the great distances through which it travels 
to seek its food in the native's cornfields. In all 
countries, the bulls are fiercer than the females. 

I cannot see much difference in character between 
Indian and the African species; it is the fashion 
for some people to assert that, the elephant is an 
innocent and harmless creature, that like the giraffe. 


chap, xxi.] AFRICAN AND INDIAN ELEPHANTS . 533 

it is almost a sin to destroy. I can only say that, 
during eight years’ experience in Ceylon, and nearly 
five years’ in Africa, I have found that elephants 
are the most formidable animals with which a 

sportsman has to contend. The African species is 
far more dangerous than the Indian, as the forehead 
shot can never be trusted; therefore the hunter must 
await the charge with a conviction that, his bullet 
will fail to kill. 

The African elephant is about a foot higher than 
the average of the Indian species. The bulls of 

the former are about ten feet six inches at the 

shoulder; the females are between nine feet and 

nine feet six. Of course there are many bulls that 
exceed this height, and I have seen some few of 
both species that might equal twelve feet, but those 
are the exceptional Goliahs. 

The tusks of elephants vary considerably, and 
there appears to be no rule to determine a reason 
for their size and quality. In Abyssinia and Taka, 
a single tusk of a bull elephant seldom exceeds 
forty pounds, nor do they average more than twenty- 
five, but in Central Africa they average about forty, 
and I have seen them upwards of one hundred and 
fifty pounds. The largest that I have had the good 
fortune to bag, was eighty pounds, the fellow-tusk 
was slightly below seventy. Elephants invariably 
use one tusk in preference, as we use the right 
hand; thus it is difficult to obtain an exact pair, as 
the Hadam (or servant), as the Arabs call the 


534 DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS. [chap. xxi. 

working tusk, is generally muck worn. The African 
elephant is a more decided tree-feeder than the 
Indian, and the destruction committed by a large 
herd of such animals when feeding in a mimosa 
forest is extraordinary; they deliberately march 
forward, and uproot or break down every tree that 
excites their appetite. The mimosas are generally 
from sixteen to twenty feet high, and, having no 
tap-root, they are easily overturned by the tusks 
of the elephants, which are driven like crowbars 
beneath the roots, and used as levers, in which 
rough labour they are frequently broken. Upon the 
overthrow of a tree, the elephants eat the roots 
and leaves, and strip the bark from the branches 
by grasping them with their rough trunks. 

The African elephant is equally docile as the 
Indian, when domesticated, but we have no account 
of a negro tribe that has ever tamed one of these 
sagacious animals: their only maxim is “ kill and 
eat.” Although the flesh of the elephant is extremely 
coarse, the foot and trunk are excellent, if properly 
cooked. A hole should be dug in the earth, about 
four feet deep, and two feet six inches in diameter, 
the sides of which should be perpendicular; in this 
a large fire should be lighted, and kept burning for 
four or five hours with a continual supply of wood, 
so that the walls become red-hot. At the expiration 
of the blaze, the foot should be laid upon the 
glowing embers, and the hole should be covered 
closely with thick pieces of green wood laid parallel 


chap, xxl] ELEPHANTS’ FOOT, A LUXURY. 535 

together to form a ceiling; this should be covered 
with wet grass, and the whole should be plastered 
with mud, and stamped tightly down to retain the 
heat. Upon the mud, a quantity of earth should be 
heaped, and the oven should not be opened for 
thirty hours, or more. At the expiration of that 
time, the foot will be perfectly baked, and the sole 
will separate like a shoe, and expose a delicate sub¬ 
stance that, with a little oil and vinegar, together 
with an allowance of pepper and salt, is a delicious 
dish that will feed about fifty men. 

The Arabs are particularly fond of elephant’s flesh, 
as it is generally fat and juicy. I have frequently 
used the fat of the animal for cooking, but it should 
be taken from the body without delay; as, if left for 
a few hours, it partakes of the peculiar smell of the 
elephant, which no amount of boiling will overcome. 
The boiling of fat for preservation requires much 
care, as it should attain so great a heat that a few 
drops of water thrown upon the surface will hiss 
and evaporate, as though cast upon molten metal; it 
should then be strained, and when tolerably cool, it 
should be poured into vessels, and secured. No salt 
is necessary, provided it is thoroughly boiled. When 
an animal is killed, the flesh should be properly dried 
before boiling down, otherwise the fat will not melt 
thoroughly, as it will be combined with the water 
contained in the body. The fat should be separated 
as well as possible from the meat; it should then 
be hung in long strips upon a line and exposed in 


53G PRESERVATION OF FLESH FOR THE MARCH [er ap. xxr, 

the sun to dry ; when nearly dried, it should be 
cut into pieces of about two inches in length, and 
placed in a large vessel over a brisk fire, and kept 
constantly stirred. As the fat boils out from the 
meat, the residue should be taken out with a pierced 
ladle; this, when cool, should be carefully preserved 
in leather bags. This is called by the Arabs “ reveet,” 
a supply of which is most valuable, as a quantity 
can be served out to each man during a long march 
when there is no time to halt; it can be eaten with¬ 
out bread, and it is extremely nourishing. With a 
good supply of reveet in store, the traveller need 
not be nervous about his dinner. Dried meat should 
also be kept in large quantities; the best is that of 
the giraffe and hippopotamus, but there is some care 
required in preparing the first quality. It should be 
cut from portions of the animals as free as possible 
from sinews, and should be arranged in long thin 
strips of the diameter of about an inch and a quarter; 
these ribbon-like morsels should be hung in the 
shade. When nearly dry, they should be taken 
down, and laid upon a flat rock, upon which they 
should be well beaten with a stone, or club of hard 
wood; this breaks the fibre; after which, they should 
be hung up and thoroughly dried, care being taken 
that the flesh is not exposed to the sun. If many 
flies are present, the flesh should be protected by the 
smoke of fires lighted to windward. 

When meat is thus carefully prepared, it can be 
used in various ways, and is exceedingly palatable ; if 


pHAP. xxi.] PREPARATION OF BREAD FOR. A JOURNEY. 537 

pounded into small pieces like coarse sawdust, it 
forms an admirable material for curry and rice. The 
Arabs make a first-class dish of melach, by mixing 
a quantity of pounded dried meat with a thick 
porridge of dhurra meal, floating in a soup of bar- 
mian (waker), with onions, salt, and red peppers; 
this is an admirable thing if the party is pressed 
for time (if not too hot), as a large quantity can be 
eaten with great expedition. As the Arabs are 
nomadic, they have a few simple but effective ar¬ 
rangements for food during the journey. For a 
fortnight preparatory to an expedition, the women 
are busily engaged in manufacturing a supply of 
abrey. This is made in several methods : there is 
the sour, and the sweet abrey; the former is made 
of highly-fermented dhurra paste that has turned 
intensely acid; this is formed into thin wafers, about 
sixteen inches in diameter, upon the doka or hearth, 
and dried in the sun until the abrey has become 
perfectly crisp ; the wafers are then broken up 
with the hands, and packed in bags. There is 
no drink more refreshing than water poured over a 
handful of sour abrey, and allowed to stand for 
half an hour; it becomes pleasantly acid, and is 
superior to lemonade. The residue is eaten by the 
Arabs, thus the abrey supplies both meat and drink. 
The finest quality of sweet abrey is a very delicate 
affair ; the flour of dhurra must be well sifted; it 
is then mixed with milk instead of water, and, with¬ 
out fermenting, it is formed into thin wafers similar 


538 


THE BOS CAFFER. 


[chai\ xxr. 


to those eaten with ice-creams in this country, but 
extremely large; these are dried in the sun, and 
crushed like the sour abrey ; they will keep for 
months if kept dry in a leathern bag. A handful 
of sweet abrey steeped in a bowl of hot milk, with 
a little honey, is a luxurious breakfast; nothing can 
be more delicious, and it can be prepared in a 
few minutes during the short halt upon a journey. 
With a good supply of abrey and dried meat, the 
commissariat arrangements are wonderfully simplified, 
and a party can march a great distance without much 
heavy baggage to impede their movements. 

The flesh that is the least adapted for drying 
is that of the buffalo (Bos Caffer) which is exceed¬ 
ingly tough and coarse. There are two species of 
the Bos Caffer in Abyssinia and Central Africa, 
which, similar in general appearance, differ in the 
horns; that which resembles the true Bos Caffer 
of South Africa has very massive convex horns 
that unite in front, and completely cover the fore¬ 
head as with a shield ; the other variety has mas¬ 
sive, but perfectly flat horns of great breadth, that 
do not quite unite over the os frontis , although 
nearly so; the flatness of the horns continues in a 
rough surface, somewhat resembling the bark of a 
tree, for about twelve inches; the horns then become 
round, and curve gracefully inwards, like those of 
the convex species. Buffaloes are very dangerous 
and. determined animals; but, although more accidents 
occur in hunting these than any other variety of 


chap, xxi.] THE MOST FORMIDABLE ANIMALS. 539 

game, I cannot admit that they are such formidable 
opponents as the elephant and black rhinoceros; 
they are so much more numerous than the latter, 
that they are more frequently encountered; hence 
the casualties. 

A buffalo can always be killed with a No. 10 rifle 
and six drachms of powder when charging, if the 
hunter will only wait coolly until it is so close that 
he cannot miss the forehead; but the same rifle will 
fail against an African elephant, or a black rhinoceros, 
as the horns of the latter animal effectually protect 
the brain from a front shot. I have killed some 
hundreds of buffaloes, and, although in many cases 
they have been unpleasantly near, the rifle has always 
won the day. There cannot be a more convenient size 
than No. 10 for a double rifle, for large game. This 
will throw a conical projectile of three ounces, with 
seven drachms of powder. Although a breechloader is 
a luxury, I would not have more than a pair of such 
rifles in an expedition in a wild country, as they would 
require more care in a damp climate than the servants 
would be likely to bestow upon them, and the ammu¬ 
nition would be a great drawback. This should be 
divided into packets of ten cartridges each, which 
should be rolled up in flannel, and hermetically sealed 
in separate tin canisters. Thus arranged, they would 
be impervious to damp, and might be carried conve¬ 
niently. But 1 should decidedly provide myself with 
four double-barrelled muzzle-loading No. 10’s as my 
regular battery; that, if first class, would never get out 


540 RIFLES FOR WILL COUNTRIES. [chap. xxz. 

of order. Nothing gives such confidence to the gun- 
bearers as the fact of their rifles being good slayers, 
and they quickly learn to take a pride in their weapons, 
and to strive in the race to hand the spare rifles. Dust 
storms, such as I have constantly witnessed in Africa, 
would be terrible enemies to breechloaders, as the 
hard sand, by grating in the joints, would wear away 
the metal, and destroy the exactness of the fittings. 

A small handy double rifle, such as my little 
Fletcher 24, not exceeding eight pounds and a half, is 
very necessary, as it should seldom be out of the hand. 
Such a rifle should be a breechloader, as the advan¬ 
tage of loading quickly while on horseback is incal¬ 
culable. Hunting-knives should be of soft steel, 
similar to butchers’ knives; but one principal knife 
to be worn daily should be of harder steel, with 
the back of the blade roughed and case-hardened 
like a butcher’s steel, for sharpening other knives 
when required. 

All boxes for rough travelling should be made of 
strong metal, japanned. These are a great comfort, as 
they are proof both against insects and weather, and 
can be towed with their contents across a river. 

Travelling is now so generally understood, that it 
is hardly necessary to give any instructions for the 
exploration of wild countries; but a few hints may be 
acceptable upon points that, although not absolutely 
essential, tend much to the comfort of the traveller. A 
couple of large carriage umbrellas with double lining, 
with small rings fixed to the extremities of the ribs, 


CHAP. XXI.] 


SUNDRY HINTS. 


541 


and a spike similar to that of a fishing-rod to screw 
into the handle; this will form an instantaneous 
shelter from sun or rain during a halt on the march, as 
a few strings from the rings will secure it from the 
wind, if pegged to the ground. Waterproof calico 
sheeting should be taken in large quantities, and a 
tarpaulin to protect the baggage during the night’s 
bivouac. No vulcanised Indian-rubber should be em¬ 
ployed in tropical climates ; it rots, and becomes 
useless. A quart syringe for injecting brine into fresh 
meat is very necessary. In hot climates, the centre of 
the joint will decompose before the salt can penetrate 
to the interior, but an injecting syringe will thoroughly 
preserve the meat in a few minutes. A few powerful 
fox-traps are useful for catching niglit-game in coun¬ 
tries where there is no large game for the rifle: also 
wire is useful for making springs. 

Several sticks of Indian-ink are convenient, as suffi¬ 
cient can be rubbed up in a few moments to write up 
the note-book during the march. All journals and 
note-books should be of tinted paper, green, as the 
glare of white paper in the intense sunlight of the 
open sky is most trying to the eyes. Burning glasses 
and flint and steels are very necessary. Lucifer 
matches are dangerous, as they may ignite and de¬ 
stroy your baggage in dry weather, and become utterly 
useless in the damp. 

A large supply of quicksilver should be taken for 
the admixture with lead for hardening bullets, in addi¬ 
tion to that required for the artificial horizon ; the 


542 BULLETS FOR LARGE GAME. [chap. xxi. 

effect of this metal is far greater than a mixture of tin, 
as the specific gravity of the bullet is increased. 

Throughout a long experience in wild sports, although 
I admire the velocity of conical projectiles, I always 
have retained my opinion that, in jungle countries, 
where in the absence of dogs you require either to 
disable your game on the spot, or to produce a distinct 
blood-track that is easily followed, the old-fashioned 
two-groove belted ball will bag more game than 
modern bullets; but on the other hand, the facility of 
loading a conical bullet already formed into a cart¬ 
ridge is a great advantage. The shock produced by 
a pointed projectile is nothing compared to that of the 
old belted ball, unless it is on the principle of Pur day’s 
high velocity expanding bullet, which, although per¬ 
fection for deer-shooting, would be useless against 
thick-skinned animals, such as buffalo and rhinoceros. 
In Africa, the variety of game is such, that it is impos¬ 
sible to tell, when loading, at what animal the bullet 
will be fired, therefore it is necessary to be armed with 
a rifle suitable for all comers. My little Fletcher was 
the Enfield bore, No. 24, and, although a most trusty 
weapon, the bullets generally failed to penetrate the 
skull of hippopotami, except in places where the bone 
was thin, such as behind the ear, and beneath the eyes. 
Although I killed great numbers of animals with the 
Enfield bullet, the success was due to tolerably correct 
shooting, as I generally lost the larger antelopes if 
wounded by that projectile in any place but the neck, 
head, or shoulder; the wound did not bleed freely. 


chap, xxi.] ANTELOPES OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 543 

therefore it was next to impossible to follow up tlie 
blood-track; thus a large proportion of wounded 
animals escaped. 

I saw, and shot, thirteen varieties of antelopes while 
in Africa. Upon arrival at Khartoum, I met Herr von 
Heuglin, who commanded the expedition in search of 
Dr. Vogel; he was an industrious naturalist, who had 
been many years in the Soudan and in Abyssinia. 
We compared notes of all we had seen and done, and 
he very kindly supplied me with a list of all the ante¬ 
lopes that he had been able to trace as existing in 
Abyssinia and the Soudan ; he now included my 
maarif, which he had never met with, and which he 
agreed was a new species. In the following list, which 
is an exact copy of that which he had arranged, those 
marked with an asterisk are species that I have 
myself shot:— 


Catalogue des especes du genre “ Antilope,” observees en Egypte, 
dans la Nubie , ait Soitdan orientate et en Abissinie. 

A.—Gazella, Elams. 

1. —Spec. G. Dorcas * Arab. Ghasal. 

2. — G. arabica* Ehr. A le cote de la Mer rouge. 

3. — G. Ecevipes, Sund. Arab. Abou Ilorabct 1 (Nubie, Taka 

Senuaar, Kordofan). 

4. —#. spec. (? 1) en Tigreh Cboquen (Bogos). 

5. _ G. Dama * Licbt. Arab. Adra, Ledra (Riel, Bajouda, Berber, 

Sennaar, Kordofan). 

6. — G. Sosmmeringii , Rupp. Arab. Om Oreba. Tigrek, Arab 

(Taka, Massowa, Gedaref, Berber, Sennaar). 


544 


ANTELOPES OF CENTRAL AFRICA, [chap. xxi. 


7—G. Leptoceros. Arab. Abou Harab. Gazelle a longues cornes, 
minces et parallelles (Bajouda, Berber, Taka, Sennaar, 
Kordofan). 


B. — Calotragus, Luad. 

S.—C. montanus * Rupp. Arab. Otrab and El Mor. Amliar. 

Fiego. Sennaar, Abissinie, Taka, Galabat. 

9.—C. Saltatrix , Forst. Ambar. Sasa (Abissinie). 

C. — Kanotragus, Wagn. 

10—A. Hemprichianus* Ehr. Arab. Om dig dig. Abissinie, ori- 
entale et occidentale, Taka, Kordofan. 

D.— Cephalolophus, H. Smith. 

11.— C. Madaqua. Amliar. Midakoua, Galabat, Barka, Abissinie. 
12 and 13.— Deus especes inconues du Fleuve blanc, nominees par 
les Djenkes, “Amok.” 

E. —Redunca. 

14. — R. Eleotragus, Sclirb. Djenk eli, Bor. Balir el Abiad. 

15. — R. Belior , Rupp. Ambar. Behor (Abissinie centrale, Kor¬ 

dofan). 

16. — R. Null , nov. spec. Djenke, Koul (Babr el Abiad). 

17. — R. leucoiis , Peters et Licht. Djenk. Adjel. Babr el abiad, 

Saubat. 

18. — R. Wuil , nov. spec. Djenke, Ouil. Babr el Abiad, Saubat. 

19. — R. Lecliee * Gray. Babr el Abiad. 

20. — R. megaceros* Heuglin. Kobus Maria, Gray. Djenke, 

Abok. Saubat, Babr el Abiad and Babr Gbazal. 

21. — R. Befassa ,* Riipp. Arab. Om Hetehet. Ambar. Dofasa. 

Djenke, Bor. Babr el Salame, Galabat, Kordofan, Bahr 
el Abiad, Dender, Abissinie, occidentale et centrale. 

22. —A. ellipsiprymna, Ogilby. Djenk, Bor. Babr el Abiad. 


CHAP. XXI.] 


AND ABYSSINIA. 


545 


F. — Hippotragus, Sund. 

23. — II. mger, Harris. Arab. Abou Maarif. Kordofan meridi- 

onale, fleuve Blanc (Chilouk). 

24. — II. nov. spec. Arab. Abou Maarif— Bakerii* Babr el Sa¬ 

laam, Galabat, Dender, fleuve Bleu. Sennaar meridionale. 

25. — H. Beisa, Rupp. Arab. Beisa et Damuia. Souakim, Mas- 

sowa, Danakil, Somauli, Kordofan. 

26. — II. ensicornis , Ehr. Arab. Ouahoh el bagr. Kubie, Berber, 

Kordofan. 

27. — H. Addax, Lichfc. Arab. Akach. Bajouda, Egypte occi- 

dentale (Oasis de Siouab). 

G.— Taurotragus, Wagn. 

28. — T. Orcas , Pall. (Antilope Canna). Djenke, Goualgoual. Babr 

Abiad. 

29. — T. gigas, nov. spec. Chez les pleuplades Atoats, au Bahr el 

Abiad. 


H. —Tragelaphus, Blains., 

30. — Tr. strepsiceros (Pallas). Arab. Kellet, Miremreli. Tigreb, 

Garona. Ambar. Agazen. Abissinie, Sennaar, Homran, 
Galabat, Kordofan. 

31. — Tr. sylvaticus, Spterm. Babr el Abiad. 

32. — Tr. Dekula Rupp. Ambar. Dekoula, Arab. Houcb, Djenke, 

Ber. Taka, Abissinie, Babr Abiad. 

I.—Bubalis. 

33. — B. mauritanica , Sund. (Antilope Bubalis, Cuvier). Arab. 

Tetel; Tigreh, Tori. Taka, Homran, Barka, Galabat, Kor¬ 
dofan, Babr Abiad. 

34. — B. Caama, Cuv. Arab. Tetel. Djenke, Awalwon. Babr 

Abiad, Kordofan meridional. 

35. — B. Senegalensis , H. Smith. Babr el Abiad. 

36. — B. Tiang, nov. spec. Djenke, Tian. Bahr Abiad, Babr 

Ghazal. 

37. — B. Tian-riel. nov. spec. Babr el Abiad. 


N N 


546 


ANTELOPES OF CENTRAL AFRICA. [chap. xxi. 


Species incert^e. 

“ Soada ,” au Onalkait et Mareb (Taurotragus ?). 
“ Uorobo ” an Godjam, Agow (Hippotragus). 

“ Onoadembi.” Mareb, Oualkait (Hippotragus). 
“ El Mor Sennaar, Fazogle (Nanotragus ?). 

“ El Khondieh.” Kordofan (Eedunca?). 

“ Om Khat.” Kordofan (Gazella?). 

" El Hamra.” Kordofan, Bajouda (Gazella?). 


CHAPTER XXII. 


WE LEAVE THE D1NDER. 

For some days we continued our journey along the 
banks of the Dinder, and as the monotonous river 
turned towards the junction with the Blue Nile, a few 
miles distant, we made a direct cut across the flat 
country, to cross the Rahad and arrive at Abou Harraz 
on the Blue Nile. We passed numerous villages and 
extensive plantations of dhurra that were deserted by 
the Arabs, as the soldiers had arrived to collect the taxes. 
I measured the depths of the wells, seventy-five feet 
and a half, from the surface to the bottom ; the allu¬ 
vial soil appeared to continue the whole distance, until 
the water was discovered resting upon hard sand, full 
of small particles of mica. During the march over a 
portion of the country that had been cleared by burn¬ 
ing, we met a remarkably curious hunting-party. A 
number of the common black and white stork were 
hunting for grasshoppers and other insects, but 
mounted upon the back of each stork was a large 
copper-coloured flycatcher, which, perched like a rider 
on his horse, kept a bright look-out for insects, which 
N N 2 


548 CURIOUS HUNTING PARTY. [chap, xxii. 

from its elevated position it could easily discover 
upon the ground. I watched them for some time : 
whenever the storks perceived a grasshopper or other 
winged insect, they chased them on foot, hut if they 
missed their game, the flycatchers darted from their 
backs and flew after the insects like falcons, catching 
them in their beaks, and then returning to their steeds- 
to look out for another opportunity. 

On the evening of the 23rd May we arrived at the 
Bahad close to its junction with the Blue Nile : it was 
still dry, although the Dinder was rising. I accounted 
for this, from the fact of the extreme length of the 
Raliad’s bed, which from its extraordinary tortuous 
course, must absorb a vast amount of water in the dry 
sand, before the advancing stream can reach the Nile. 
Both the Baliad and Dinder rise in the mountains of 
Abyssinia, at no great distance from each other, and 
during the rains, they convey a large volume of water 
to the Blue Nile. Upon arrival at Abou Harraz, four 
miles to the north of the Bahad junction, we had 
marched, by careful dead reckoning, two hundred and 
eighty miles from Gallabat. We were now about a 
hundred and fifteen miles from Khartoum, and we 
stood upon the banks of the magnificent Blue Nile ; 
the last of the Abyssinian affluents. 

About six miles above this spot, on the south bank 
of the river, is the large town of Wat Medene, which 
is the principal trading place upon the river. Abou 
Harraz was a miserable spot, and was only important 
as the turning point upon the road to Katariff from 


chap, xxii.] CHARACTER OF ABYSSINIAN RIFERS. 549 

Khartoum. The entire country upon botli sides of 
the river is one vast unbroken level of rich soil, which 
on the north and east sides is bounded by the 
Atbara. The entire surface of this fertile country 
might be cultivated with cotton. All that is required 
to insure productiveness, is a regular supply of water, 
which might be artificially arranged without much 
difficulty. The character of all the Abyssinian rivers 
is to rise and fall suddenly, thus, at one season there 
is an abundance of water, to be followed by a scarcity : 
but in all the fertile provinces adjacent to the Settite 
and the upper portion of the Atbara, the periodical 
rains can be absolutely depended upon, from June to 
the middle of September; thus, they are peculiarly 
adapted for cotton, as a dry season is insured for 
gathering the crop. As we advance to the north, and 
reach Abou Harraz, we leave the rainy zone. When 
we had left Gallabat, the grass had sprung several 
inches, owing to the recent showers; but as we had 
proceeded * rapidly towards the north, we had entered 
upon vast dusty plains devoid of a green blade ; the 
rainy season between Abou Harraz and Khartoum, 
consisted of mere occasional storms, that, descending 
with great violence, quickly passed away. Nothing 
would be more simple than to form a succession of 
weirs across the Raliad and Dinder, that would enable 
the entire country to be irrigated at any season of the 
year, but there is not an engineering work of any 
description throughout Upper Egypt, beyond the sageer 
or water-wheel of the Nile. Opposite Abou Harraz, 


550 


BORASSUS AETHIOPICUS. 


[chap. xxir. 


the Blue Nile was a grand river, about five hundred 
yards in width ; the banks upon the north side were 
the usual perpendicular cliffs of alluvial soil, but per¬ 
fectly bare of trees; while on the south, the banks 
were ornamented with nabbuk bushes and beauti¬ 
ful palms; the latter are a peculiar species known 
by the Arabs as “dolape” (Borctssus JEtliiopicus) : 
the stem is longr and of considerable thickness, but in 
about the centre of its length it swells to nearly half 
its diameter in excess, and after a few feet of extra 
thickness, it continues its original size to the summit, 
which is crowned by a handsome crest of leaves 
shaped like those of the palmyra. The fruit of this 
palm is about the size of a cocoa-nut, and when ripe 
it is of a bright yellow, with an exceedingly rich per¬ 
fume of apricots ; it is very stringy, and, although 
eaten by the natives, it is beyond the teeth of a 
European. The Arabs cut it into slices, and boil it 
with water until they obtain a strong syrup. Sub¬ 
sequently I found this palm in great quantities near 
the equator. 

At Abou Harraz I discharged my camels, and 
endeavoured to engage a boat to convey us to 
Khartoum, thus to avoid the dusty and uninteresting 
ride of upwards of a hundred miles along its flat 
and melancholy banks; but there was not a vessel 
of any kind to be seen upon the river, except one 
miserable, dirty affair, for which the owner demanded 
fourteen hundred piastres for a passage. We accord- 


chap, xxii.] RUFAAR AND THE ARAB SHEIK. 551 

ingly procured camels, and started, intending to 
march, as rapidly as possible. 

“June 2, 1862 .—We packed the camels in the 
morning and started them off to Rufaar. We 
followed at 2.30 p.m. as the natives declared it was 
half a day’s journey; but we did not arrive until 
8.30 p.m. having marched about twenty-one miles. 
The town is considerable, and is the head-quarters 
of our old friend, the great Sheik Achmet Abou Sinn ; 
he is now absent, but his son Ali is at home. He 
received us very kindly, and lodged us in his own 
house within a large inclosed court, with a well of 
good water in the centre. Having read my firman, 
he paid us the usual compliments, but he lacked the 
calm dignity and ease of manner of his grand old 
father. He sat stiffly upon the divan, occasionally 
relieving the monotony of his position by lifting 
up the cover of the cushions, and spitting beneath it. 
Not having a handkerchief, but only the limited 
natural advantages of a finger and thumb, a cold in 
the head gave him much trouble, and unpleasant 
marks upon the wall exhibited hieroglyphics of 
recent date, that were ill adapted to the reception- 
room of an Arab chieftain. In about an hour he 
departed, and shortly after, a dinner was brought of 
four dishes. No. 1 was an Arab Irish stew, but alas ! 
minus the potatoes ; it was very good, nevertheless, as 
the mutton was fat; No. 2 was an Arab stew, with 
no Irish element: it was very hot with red pepper, 
and rather dry ; No. 3 was a good quick fry of small 


552 


TIIE BLUE NILE. 


[chap. XXII. 


pieces of mutton in butter and garlic (very good) ; 
and No. 4 was an excellent dish of the usual melach, 
already described. 

The wind had within the last few days changed 
to south, and we had been subjected to dust storms 
and sudden whirlwinds similar to those we had 
experienced at this season on the preceding year, 
when about to start from Berber. We left Kufaar, 
and continued our march along the banks of the 
Blue Nile, towards Khartoum. It was intensely hot; 
whenever we felt a breeze it was accompanied with 
a suffocating dust, but the sight of the broad river 
was cool and refreshing. During the dry season the 
water of the Blue Nile is clear, as its broad surface 
reflects the colour of the blue sky; hence the appel¬ 
lation, but at that time it is extremely shallow, 
and in many places it is fordable at a depth of 
about three feet, which renders it unnavigable for 
large boats, which, laden with corn, supply Khar¬ 
toum from the fertile provinces of the south. The 
river had now begun to rise, although it was still 
low, and the water was muddy, as the swelling 
torrents of Abyssinia brought impurities into the 
main channel. It was at this same time last year 
when at Berber, that we had noticed the sudden 
increase and equally sudden fall of the Nile, that 
was influenced by the fluctuations of the Blue Nile, 
at a time when the Atbara was dry. 

From Abou Harraz throughout the route to Khar¬ 
toum there is no object of interest; it is the same 


ciiai\ xxii.] THE VERY GENTLEMANLY FJEY. 553 

vast flat, decreasing rapidly in fertility until it 
mingles with the desert; and once more, as we 
journey to the north, we leave the fertile lands 
behind, and enter upon sterility. The glare of 
barren plains, and the heat of the summers sun 
were fearful. Bacheet had a slight coup de soldi; 
my Tokrooris, whose woolly heads were shaved, and 
simply covered with a thin skull-cap, suffered se¬ 
verely, as we inarched throughout the burning hours 
of the day. The Arabs were generally very inhos¬ 
pitable, as this was the route frequented by all 
native merchants, where strangers were of daily oc¬ 
currence ; but towards evening we arrived at a 
village inhabited by a large body of Fakeers, or 
priests. As we entered, we were met by the prin¬ 
cipal Faky, who received us with marked attention, 
and with a charming courtesy of manner that quite 
won our hearts ; he expressed himself as delighted 
at our arrival, hoped we were not fatigued by the 
heat, and trusted that we would rest for a few 
minutes before we departed to the enchanting village 
“just beyond those trees,” as he pointed to a clump 
of green nabbuk on the yellow plain, about a mile 
distant; there, he. assured us, we could obtain all 
kinds of supplies, together with shade, and a lovely 
view of the river. We were delighted with this 
very gentlemanly Faky, and, saying adieu with re¬ 
gret, we hurried on to the promising village “just 
beyond those trees.” 

For fourteen miles we travelled hungry and tired 


554 


REGULARLY “SOLD: 


[chap. XXII. 


beyond the alluring clump of trees, along the wild 
desert of liot sand without a habitation; the only 
portion of truth in the Faky’s description was the 
“lovely view of the river,” that certainly accom¬ 
panied us throughout our journey. We were regu¬ 
larly “sold” by the cunning Faky, who, not wishing 
to be incommoded with our party, had got rid of 
us in a most gentlemanly manner. At length we 
arrived at a village, where we had much difficulty 
in procuring provisions for ourselves and people. 

On the 11 tli June, having slept at the village of 
Abou Dome, we started at sunrise, and at 9 a.m. 
we reached the bank of the river, opposite to 
Khartoum. We were delighted with the view, as 
the morning sun shone upon the capital of the 
Soudan provinces ; the groves of date trees shaded 
the numerous buildings, contrasting exquisitely their 
dark green foliage with the many coloured houses 
on the extreme margin of the beautiful river; long 
lines of vessels and masts gave life to the scene, 
and we felt that once more, after twelve months 
of utterly wild life, we had arrived in civilization. 
We had outridden our camels, therefore we rode 
through a shallow arm of the river, and arrived 
upon an extensive sandbank that had been converted 
into a garden of melons; from this point, a large 
ferry-boat plied regularly to the town on the south 
bank. In a few minutes we found ourselves on 
board, with our sole remaining horse, Tetel, also the 
donkeys that we had purchased in Berber before 


CFAP. XXII.] 


ARRIVAL AT KHARTOUM. 


555 


our expedition, and our attendants. As we gained 
tlie centre of tlie river, tliat was about 800 yards 
broad, we were greeted by tlie snort of three of our 
old friends, the hippopotami, who had been attracted 
to the neighbourhood by the garden of water-melons. 
We landed at Khartoum, and, having climbed up the 
steep bank, we inquired the way to the British 
Consulate. 

The difference between the view of Khartoum at 
the distance of a mile, with the sun shining upon 
the bright river Nile in the foreground, to the 
appearance of the town upon close inspection, was 
about equal to the scenery of a theatre as regarded 
from the boxes or from the stage ; even that pain¬ 
ful exposure of * an optical illusion would be trifling 
compared with the imposture of Khartoum; the 
sense of sight had been deceived by distance, but 
the sense of smell was outraged by innumerable 
nuisances, when we set foot within the filthy and 
miserable town. After winding through some narrow 
dusty lanes, hemmed in by high walls of sunbaked 
bricks, that had fallen in gaps in several places, 
exposing gardens of prickly pears and date palms, 
we at length arrived at a large open place, that, 
if possible, smelt more strongly than the landing 
spot. Around this square, which was full of holes 
where the mud had been excavated for brickmaking, 
were the better class of houses; this was the 
Belgravia of Khartoum. In the centre of a long 
mud wall, ventilated by certain attempts at frame- 


556 


TUB BRITISH LION. 


[chap. XXII. 


less windows, guarded by rougli wooden bars, we 
perceived a large archway with closed doors; above 
this entrance was a shield, with a device that 
gladdened my English eyes: there was the British 
lion and the unicorn ! Not such a lion as I had 
been accustomed to meet in his native jungles, a 
yellow cowardly fellow, that had often slunk away 
from the very prey from which I had driven him, 
but a real red British lion, that although thin and 
ragged in the unhealthy climate of Khartoum, looked 
as though he was pluck to the backbone. 

This was the English Consulate. I regarded our 
lion and unicorn for a few moments with feelings of 
veneration, and as Mr. Petherick the consul, who 
was then absent on the White Nile in search of Speke 
and Grant, had very kindly begged me to occupy 
some rooms in the Consulate, we entered a large court¬ 
yard, and w^ere immediately received by two ostriches 
that came to meet us ; these birds entertained us by 
an impromptu race as hard as they could go round the 
court yard, as though performing in a circus. When 
this little divertissement was finished, we turned to 
the right, and were shown by a servant up a flight of 
steps into a large airy room that was to be our resi¬ 
dence, which, being well protected from the sun, was 
cool and agreeable. Mr. Petherick had started from 
Khartoum in the preceding March, and had expected 
to meet Speke and Grant in the upper portion of the 
Nile regions, on their road from Zanzibar, but there 
are insurmountable difficulties in those wild countries, 


chap, xxii.] THE ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTION. 55 7 

and his expedition met with unforeseen accidents, that, 
in spite of the exertions of both himself, his very 
devoted wife, Dr. Murie, and two or three Europeans,, 
drove them from their intended path. Shortly after 
our arrival at the Consulate, a vessel returned from his. 
party with unfavourable accounts; they had started 
too late in the season, owing to some difficulties in 
procuring boats, and the change of the wind to the 
south, with violent rain, had caused great sufferings 
and had retarded their progress. This same boat had 
brought two leopards that were to be sent to England: 
these animals were led into the courtyard, and, having 
been secured by chains, they formed a valuable addi¬ 
tion to the managerie, which consisted of two wild 
boars, two leopards, one hyaena, two ostriches, and a 
cynoccjphalus or dog-faced baboon, who won my heart 
by taking an especial fancy to me, because I had a 
beard like his master. 

Although I take a great interest in wild animals, 
I confess to have an objection to sleep in the 
Zoological Gardens should all the wild beasts be 
turned loose. I do not believe that even the 
Secretary of that learned Society would volunteer 
to sleep with the lions; but as the leopards at the 
Khartoum Consulate constantly broke their chains, 
and attacked the dogs and a cow, and as the liysena 
occasionally got loose, and the wild boars destroyed 
their mud wall, and nearly killed one of my Tok- 
rooris during the night, by carving him like a 
scored leg of pork with their tusks, the fact of 


558 OSTRICHES INVITE THEMSELVES TO TEA. [chap, xxii 

sleeping in the open air in the verandah, with the 
simple protection of a mosquito-netting, was full of 
pleasant excitement, and was a piquante entertain¬ 
ment that prevented a reaction of ennui after 
twelve months passed in constant watchfulness. The 
shield over the Consulate door, with the lion and 
the unicorn, was but a sign of the life within; as 
the grand picture outside the showman's wagon may 
exemplify the nature of his exhibition. I enjoyed 
myself extremely with these creatures, especially 
when the ostriches invited themselves to tea, and 
swallowed our slices of water-melons and the greater 
portion of the bread from the table a few moments 
before we were seated; these birds apjDeared to 
enjoy life amazingly; one kind of food was as sweet 
as another; they attacked a basket of white porce¬ 
lain beads that had been returned by Mr. Petherick’s 
men, and swallowed them in great numbers in 
mistake for dhurra, until they were driven off; they 
were the scavengers of the courtyard, that con¬ 
sumed the dung of the camels and horses, together 
with all other impurities. 

For some months we resided at Khartoum, as it 
was necessary to make extensive preparations for the 
White Nile expedition, and to await the arrival of 
the north wind, which would enable us to start early 
in December. Although the north and south winds 
blow alternately for six months, and the former com¬ 
mences in October, it does not extend many degrees 
southward until the beginning of December. This is 


chap, xxii.] I INTERCEDE FOR MEK NIMMUR . 559 

a great drawback to White Nile exploration, as when 
near the north side of the equator, the dry season 
commences in November, and closes in February; 
thus, the departure from Khartoum should take place 
by a steamer in the latter part of September; tha 
would enable the traveller to leave Gondokoro, lat. N. 
4° 54', shortly before November; he would then 
secure three months of favourable weather for an 
advance inland. 

Having promised Mek Nimmur that I would lay 
his proposals for peace before the Governor-General of 
the Soudan, I called upon Moosa Pasha at the public 
divan, and delivered the message; but he would not 
listen to any intercession, as he assured me that Mek 
Nimmur was incorrigible, and there would be no real 
peace until his death, which would be very speedy 
should he chance to fall into his hands. He expressed 
great surprise at our having escaped from his territory, 
and he declared his intention of attacking him after he 
should have given the Abyssinians a lesson, for whom 
he was preparing an expedition in reply to an insolent 
letter that he had received from King Theodore. The 
King of Abyssinia had written to him upon a question 
of frontier. The substance of the document was a 
declaration thak the Egyptians had no right to Khar¬ 
toum, and that the natural boundary of Abyssinia was 
the junction of the Blue and White Niles as far north 
as Shendy (Mek Nimmurs original country); and 
from that point, in a direct line, to the Atbara, but 
that, as the desert afforded no landmark, he should 


560 KING THEODORE’S ULTIMATUM. [chap. xxn. 

send his people to dig a ditch from the Nile to the 
Atbara, and he requested that the Egyptians would 
keep upon the north border. Moosa Pasha declared 
that the king was mad, and that, were it not for the 
protection given to Abyssinia by the English, the 
Egyptians would have eaten it up long ago, but that 
the Christian powers would certainly interfere should 
they attempt to annex the country. 

The Egyptians seldom had less than twenty thou¬ 
sand troops in the Soudan provinces; the principal 
stations were Khartoum, Cassala, and Dongola. Cas- 
sala was close to the Abyssinian frontier, and within 
from fifteen to twenty days’ march of Souakim, on the 
Ked Sea, to which, reinforcements could be despatched 
in five days from Cairo. Khartoum had the advan¬ 
tage of the Blue Nile, that was navigable for steamers, 
and sailing vessels as far south as Fazogle, from which 
spot, as well as from Gallabat, Abyssinia could be 
invaded; while swarms of Arabs, including the cele¬ 
brated Hamrans, the Beni Amer, Hallongas, Haden- 
dowas, Shookeriahs, and Dabainas, could be slipped 
like greyhounds across the frontier. Abyssinia is. 
entirely at the mercy of Egypt. 

Moosa Pasha subsequently started with several 
thousand men to drive the Abyssinians from Gallabat,, 
which position they had occupied in force with the 
avowed intention of marching upon Khartoum ; but 
upon the approach of the Egyptians, they fell back 
rapidly across the mountains, without a sign of 
showing fight. The Egyptians would not follow 


CHAP. XXII.j 


CLIMATE OF TIIE SOUDAN. 


561 


them, as they feared the intervention of the European 
powers. 

Upon our first arrival in Khartoum, from 11th 
June until early in October, the heat was very op¬ 
pressive, the thermometer seldom below 95° Fahr. in 
the shade, and frequently 100°, while the nights were 
82° Fahr. In the winter, the temperature was agree¬ 
able, the shade 80°, the night 62° Fahr. But the 
chilliness of the north wind was exceedingly danger¬ 
ous, as the sudden gusts checked the perspiration, 
and produced various maladies, more especially fever. 
I had been extremely fortunate, as, although exposed 
to hard work for more than a year in the burning 
sun, I had remarkably good health, as had my wife 
likewise, with the exception of one severe attack 
while at Sofi. Throughout the countries we had 
visited, the temperature was high, averaging about 
90° in the shade from May until the end of Sep¬ 
tember ; but the nights were generally about 70 ° 
with the exception of the winter months, from 
November until February, when the thermometer 
generally fell to 85° Fahr. in the day, and sometimes 
as low as 58° at between 2 and 5 a,m, 

I shall not repeat a minute description of Khar¬ 
toum that has already been given in the “Albert 
N yanza; ” it is a wretchedly unhealthy town, con¬ 
taining about thirty thousand inhabitants, exclusive 
of troops. In spite of its unhealthiness and low situa¬ 
tion, on a level with the river at the junction of the 
Blue and White Niles, it is the general emporium for 


o o 


562 PRODUCTIONS OF THE SOUDAN. [chap. xxii. 

the trade of the Soudan, from which the productions 
of the country are transported to Lower Egypt, i. e. 
ivory, hides, senna, gum arabic, and bees’-wax. 
During my experience of Khartoum it was the hotbed 
of the slave-trade. It will be remarked that the ex¬ 
ports from the Soudan are all natural productions. 
There is nothing to exhibit the industry or capacity of 
lie natives; the ivory is the produce of violence and 
robbery ; the hides are the simple sun-dried skins of 
oxen; the senna grows wild upon the desert; the 
gum arabic exudes spontaneously from the bushes of 
the jungle; and the bees’-wax is the produce of the 
only industrious creatures in that detestable country. 

When we regard the general aspect of the Soudan, 
it is extreme wretchedness; the rainfall is uncertain 
and scanty, thus the country is a desert, dependent 
entirely upon irrigation. Although cultivation is sim¬ 
ply impossible without a supply of water, one of the 
most onerous taxes is that upon the sageer or water¬ 
wheel, with which the fields are. irrigated on the 
borders of the Nile. It would appear natural that, 
instead of a tax, a premium should be offered for the 
erection of such means of irrigation, which would 
increase the revenue by extending cultivation, the 
produce of which might bear an impost. With all the 
talent and industry of the native Egyptians, who must 
naturally depend upon the waters of the Nile for their 
existence, it is extraordinary that for thousands of 
years they have adhered to their original simple form 
of mechanical irrigation, without improvement. 


chap, xxii.] THE SAGEER OR WATER- WHEEL. 5G3 

If any one will take the trouble to watch the action 
of the sageer or water-wheel, it must strike him as a 
most puny effort to obtain a great result, that w^ould 
at once suggest an extension of the principle. The 
sageer is merely a wheel of about twenty feet 
diameter, which is furnished with numerous earthen- 
ware jars upon its exterior circumference, that, .upon 
revolving, perform the action of a dredger, but draw 
to the surface, water instead of mud. The wheel, being 
turned by oxen, delivers the water into a trough which 
passes into a reservoir, roughly fashioned with clay, 
from which, small channels of about ten inches in 
width, radiate through the plantation. The fields, 
divided into squares like a chess-board, are thus irri¬ 
gated by a succession of minute aqueducts. The root 
of this principle is the reservoir. A certain steady 
volume of water is required, from which the arteries 
shall flow throughout a large area of dry ground; thus, 
the reservoir insures a regular supply to each separate 
channel. 

In any civilized country, the existence of which 
depended upon the artificial supply of water in the 
absence of rain, the first engineering principle would 
suggest a saving of labour in irrigation : that, instead 
of raising the water in small quantities into reservoirs, 
the river should raise its own waters to the required 
level. 

Having visited every tributary of the Nile during 
the explorations of nearly five years, I have been 
struck with the extraordinary fact that, although an 
o 0 2 


564 UNCONTROLLED ACTION OF TUE NILE. [chap. xxii. 

enormous amount of wealth is conveyed to Egypt by 
the annual inundations of the river, the force of the 
stream is entirely uncontrolled. From time immemo¬ 
rial, the rise of the Nile has been watched with intense 
interest at the usual season, but no attempt has been 
made to insure a supply of water to Egypt during all 
seasons. 

The mystery of the Nile has been dispelled; we 
have proved that the equatorial lakes supply the 
main stream, but that, the inundations are caused by 
the sudden rush of waters from the torrents of Abys¬ 
sinia in July, August, and September; and that the 
soil washed down by the floods of the Atbara is at the 
present moment silting up the mouths of the Nile, and 
thus slowly, but steadily, forming a delta beneath the 
waters of the Mediterranean, on the same principle 
that created the fertile Delta of Egypt, Both the 
water and the mud of the Nile have duties to 
perform,—the water to irrigate; the deposit to fer¬ 
tilize ; but these duties are not regularly performed, 
sometimes the rush of the inundation is overwhelming, 
at others it is insufficient; while at all times an 
immense proportion of the fertilizing mud is not 
only wasted by a deposit beneath the sea, but na¬ 
vigation is impeded by the silt. The Nile is a 
powerful horse without harness, but, with a bridle 
in its mouth, the fertility of Egypt might be increased 
to a vast extent. 

As the supply of water raised by the sageer is 
received in a reservoir, from which the irrigating 

J O O 


chap, xxii.] SUGGESTIONS FOR IRRIGATION. 565 

channels radiate through the plantations, so should 
great reservoirs be formed throughout the varying 
levels of Egypt, from Khartoum to the Mediterranean, 
comprising a distance of sixteen degrees of latitude, 
with a fall of fifteen hundred feet. The advantage 
of this great difference in altitude between the Nile 
in latitude 15° 30', and the sea, would enable any 
amount of irrigation, by the establishment of a 
series of dams or weirs across the Nile, that would 
raise its level to the required degree, at certain 
points, from which the water would be led by canals 
into natural depressions ; these would form reservoirs, 
from which the water might be led upon a vast 
scale, in a similar manner to the insignificant mud 
basins that at the present day form the reservoirs for 
the feeble water-wheels. The increase of the river s 
level would depend upon the height of the dams; 
but, as stone is plentiful throughout the Nile, the 
engineering difficulties would be trifling, 

Mehemet Ali Pasha acknowledged the principle, by 
the erection of the barrage between Cairo and Alex¬ 
andria, which, by simply raising the level of the river, 
enabled the people to extend their channels for irri¬ 
gation ; but this was the crude idea, that has not 
been carried out upon a scale commensurate with the 
requirements of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians made 
use of the lake Mareotis as a reservoir for the Nile 
waters for the irrigation of a large extent of Lower 
Egypt, by taking advantage of a high Nile to secure 
a supply for the remainder of the year; but, great 


5CG FORMATION OF A DELTA BY SCIENCE, [chap. xxii. 

as were the works of those industrious people, they 
appear to have ignored the first principle of irriga¬ 
tion, by neglecting to raise the level of the river. 

Egypt remains in the same position that nature 
originally allotted to her; the life-giving stream that 
flows through a thousand miles of burning sands, 
suddenly rises in July, and floods thr Delta which it 
has formed by a deposit, during perhaps hundreds of 
thousands of similar inundations; and it wastes a 
superabundance of fertilizing mud in the waters of the 
Mediterranean. As nature has thus formed, and is 
still forming a delta, why should not science create 
a delta, with the powerful means at our disposal ? 
Why should not the mud of the Nile, that now silts 
up the Mediterranean, be directed to the barren but 
vast area of deserts, that by such a deposit would be¬ 
come a fertile portion of Egypt ? This work might he 
accomplished by simple means : the waters of the Nile, 
that now rush impetuously at certain seasons with 
overwhelming violence, while at other seasons they are 
exhausted, might be so controlled that they should 
never be in excess, neither would they be reduced to a 
minimum in the dry season ; but the enormous volume 
of water heavily charged with soil, that now rushes 
uselessly into the sea., might be led throughout the 
deserts of Nubia and Libya, to transform them into 
cotton fields that would render England independent 
of America. There is no fiction in this idea; it is 
merely the simple and commonplace fact, that with a 
fall of fifteen hundred feet in a thousand miles, with a 


chap, xxil] A SERIES OF WEIRS UPON THE NILE. 56/ 

river that supplies an unlimited quantity of water and 
mud at a particular season, a supply could he afforded 
to a prodigious area., that would be fertilized not only 
by irrigation, but by the annual deposit of soil from 
the water, allowed to remain upon the surface. This 
suggestion might be carried out by gradations ; the 
great work might be commenced by a single dam 
above the first cataract at Assouan, at a spot where 
the river is walled in by granite hills; at that place, 
the water could be raised to an exceedingly high level, 
that would command an immense tract of country. 
As the system became developed, similar dams might 
be constructed at convenient intervals; that would not 
only bring into cultivation the neighbouring deserts, 
but would facilitate the navigation of the river, that 
is now impeded, and frequently closed, by the nume¬ 
rous cataracts. By raising the level of the Nile sixty 
feet at every dam, the cataracts would no longer exist, 
as the rocks which at present form the obstructions, 
would be buried in the depths of the river. At the 
positions of the several dams, sluice gates and canals 
would conduct the shipping either up or down the 
stream. Were this principle carried out as far as the 
last cataracts, near Khartoum, the Soudan would no 
longer remain a desert; the Nile would become not 
only the cultivator of those immense tracts that are 
now utterly worthless, but it would be the navigable 
channel of Egypt for the extraordinary distance of 
twenty-seven degrees of latitude—direct from the 
Mediterranean to Gondokoro, N. lat. 4° 54'. 


568 the BENEFITS TO CIVILIZATION. [chap. xxii. 

The benefits, not only to Egypt, but to civilization, 
would be incalculable; those remote countries in the 
interior of Africa are so difficult of access, that, 
although, we cling to the hope that at some future 
time thle inhabitants may become enlightened, it will 
be simply impossible to alter their present condition, 
unless we change the natural conditions under which 
they exist. From a combination of adverse circum¬ 
stances, they are excluded from the civilized world : 
the geographical position of those desert-locked and 
remote countries shuts them out from personal com¬ 
munication with strangers : the hardy explorer and 
the missionary creep through the difficulties of dis¬ 
tance in their onward paths, but seldom return : the 
European merchant is rarely seen, and trade resolves 
itself into robbery and piracy upon the White Nile, 
and other countries, where distance and difficulty of 
access have excluded all laws and political surveil¬ 
lance. Nevertheless, throughout that desert, and 
neglected wilderness, the Nile has flowed for ages, and 
the people upon its banks are as wild and uncivilized 
at the present day as they were when the pyramids 
were raised in Lower Egypt. The Nile is a blessing 
only half appreciated ; the time will arrive when 
people will look in amazement upon a mighty Egypt, 
whose waving crops shall extend, far beyond the 
horizon, upon those sandy and thirsty deserts where 
now only the camel can contend with exhausted 
nature. Men will look down from some lofty point 
upon a network of canals and reservoirs, spreading 


chap, xxii.] ANCIENT IRRIGATION IN CEYLON. 569 

throughout a land teeming with fertility, and wonder 
how it was, that, for so many ages, the majesty of 
the Nile had been concealed. Not only the sources 
of that wonderful river have been a mystery from 
the earliest history of the world, but the resources 
and the power of the mighty Nile are still mysterious 
and misunderstood. 

In all rainless countries, artificial irrigation is the 
first law of nature, it is self-preservation : but, even 
in countries where the rainfall can be depended upon 
with tolerable certainty, irrigation should never be 
neglected; one dry season in a tropical country may 
produce a famine, the results of which may be terrible, 
as instanced lately by the unfortunate calamity in 
Orissa. The remains of the beautiful system of arti¬ 
ficial irrigation that was employed by the ancients in 
Ceylon, attest the degree of civilization to which they 
had attained; in that island, the waters of various 
rivers were conducted into valleys that were con¬ 
verted into lakes, by dams of solid masonry that 
closed the extremity, from which the water was con¬ 
ducted by artificial channels throughout the land. 
In those days, Ceylon was the most fertile country 
of the east: her power equalled her prosperity: 
vast cities teeming with a dense population stood 
upon the borders of the great reservoirs, and the 
people revelled in wealth and plenty. The dams 
were destroyed in civil warfare ; the wonderful works 
of irrigation shared in the destruction ; the country 
dried up ; famine swallowed up the population ; and 


5J0 INDUSTRIOUS POPULATION OF EGYPT. [chai\ xxn, 

the grandeur and prosperity of that extraordinary 
country collapsed and withered in the scorching sun, 
when the supply of water was withdrawn. 

At the present moment, ten thousand square miles 
lie desolate in thorny jungles, where formerly a sea 
of waving rice-crops floated on the surface; the 
people are dead, the glory is departed. This glory 
had been the fruit of irrigation. All this prosperity 
might be restored; but in Egypt there has been no 
annihilation of a people, and the Nile invites a 
renewal of the system formerly adopted in Ceylon ; 
there is an industrious population crowded upon a 
limited space of fertile soil, and yearning for an 
increase of surface. At the commencement of this 
work, we saw the Egyptians boating the earth from 
the crumbling ruins, and transporting it with arduous 
labour to spread upon the barren sandbanks of the 
Nile, left by the retreating river; they were striving 
for every foot of land thus offered by the exhausted 
waters, and turning into gardens what in other 
countries would have been unworthy of cultivation. 
Were a system of irrigation established upon the 
principle that I have proposed, the advantages would 
be enormous. The silt deposited in the Mediterranean, 
that now chokes the mouths of the Nile, and blocks 
up harbours, would be precipitated upon the broad 
area of newly-irrigated lands, and, by the time that 
the water arrived at the sea, it would have been fil¬ 
tered in its passage, and have become incapable 
of forming a fresh deposit. The great difficulty of 


chap, xxii.] CAPABILITIES FOR PROD UCING COTTON. 5 J 1 

the Suez canal will be the silting up of the en¬ 
trance by the Nile; this would be prevented were 
the mud deposited in the upper country. 

During the civil war in America, Egypt proved 
her capabilities by producing a large amount of cotton 
of most excellent quality, that assisted us materially 
in the great dearth of that article; but, although 
large fortunes were realized by the extension of this 
branch of agriculture, the Egyptians suffered con¬ 
siderably in consequence. The area of fertile soil 
was too limited, and, as an unusual surface was de¬ 
voted to the growth of cotton, there was a deficiency 
in the production of corn ; and Egypt, instead of ex¬ 
porting as heretofore, was forced to import large 
quantities of grain. Were the area of Egypt in¬ 
creased to a vast extent by the proposed system of 
irrigation, there would be space sufficient for both 
grain and cotton to any amount required. The 
desert soil, that is now utterly worthless, would be¬ 
come of great value; and the taxes upon the 
increased produce would not only cover the first 
outlay of the irrigation works, but would increase 
the revenue in the ratio proportionate to the increased 
surface of fertility. A dam across the Atbara would 
irrigate the entire country from Gozeragup to Ber¬ 
ber, a distance of upwards of 200 miles ; and the 
same system upon the Nile would carry the waters 
throughout the deserts between Khartoum and Don- 
gola, and from thence to Lower Egypt. The Nubian 
desert, from Korosko to Abou Hamed, would become a 


THE GREAT SAHARA. 


[chap. XXII. 


572 

garden, the whole of that sterile country inclosed within 
the great western bend of the Nile towards Dongola 
would be embraced in the system of irrigation, and 
the barren sands that now give birth to the bitter 
melon of the desert (Cucumis colocyntliis ), would 
bring forth the water-melon, and heavy crops of 
grain.* The great Sahara is desert, simply because 
it receives no rainfall; give it only water, and the 
sand will combine with the richer soil beneath, and 
become productive. England would become a desert, 
could it be deprived of rain for three or four years; 
the vegetation would wither and be carried away 
by the wind, together with the lighter and more 
friable portions of the soil, which, reduced to dust, 
would leave the coarser and more sandy particles 
exposed upon the surface; but the renewal of rain 
would revivify the country. The deserts of Egypt 
have never known rain, except in the form of an 
unexpected shower, that has passed away as suddenly 
as it arrived; even that slight blessing awakens 
ever-ready nature, and green things appear upon 
the yellow surface of the ground, that cause the 

* The great deserts of Northern Africa to about the 17° N. lat., 
are supposed to have formed the bottom of the Mediterranean, but 
to have been upheaved to their present level. The volcanic bombs 
discovered in the Nubian Desert, suggest by their spherical form, 
that the molten lava ejected by active volcanos had fallen from a 
great height into water, that had rapidly cooled them ; in the same 
manner that lead shot is manufactured at the present day. It is 
therefore highly probable that the extinct craters now in existence 
in the Nubian Desert were active at a period when they formed 
volcanic islands in a sea—similar to Stromboli, &c. &c. 


CHAP. XXII.] 


THE RACE OF LIFE. 


573 


traveller to wonder liow their seeds could germinate 
after the exposure for so many months in the burning 
sand. Give water to these thirsty deserts, and they 
will reply with gratitude, 

This is the way to civilize a country: the engineer 
will alter the hard conditions of nature, that have 
rendered man as barren of good works as the sterile 
soil upon which he lives. Let man have hope; im¬ 
prove the present, that his mind may look forward to 
a future; give him a horse that will answer to the spur 
if he is to run in the race of life; give him a soil that 
will yield and tempt him to industry ; give him the 
means of communication with his fellow-men, that he 
may see his own inferiority by comparison ; provide 
channels for the transport of his produce, and for the 
receipt of foreign manufactures, that will engender 
commerce : and then, when he has advanced so far in 
the scale of humanity, you may endeavour to teach 
him the principles of Christianity. Then, and not 
till then, can we hope for moral progress. We must 
begin with the development of the physical capabilities 
of a country before we can expect from its inhabitants 
sufficient mental vigour to receive and understand the 
truths of our religion. I have met with many Chris¬ 
tian missionaries, of various and conflicting creeds, 
who have fruitlessly sown the seed of Christianity 
upon the barren soil of Africa; but their labours were 
ill-timed, they were too early in the field, the soil is 
unprepared; the missionary, however earnest, must 
wait until there be some foundation for a super- 


57 4 


PREPARATIONS FOR PISCOFERY. [ciiAr. xxn. 


structure. Baise the level of the waters, and change 
the character of the surrounding deserts ; this will 
also raise the intellectual condition of the inhabitants 
by an improvement in the natural conditions of their 
country. 

The first portion of our task was completed. We 
had visited all the Nile tributaries of Abyssinia, in¬ 
cluding the great Blue Nile that had been traced to 
its source by Bruce. The difficult task still lay before 
us—to penetrate the unknown regions in the distant 
.south, to discover the White Nile source.* Speke and 
'Grant were on their road from Zanzibar, cutting their 
way upon untrodden ground towards Gondokoro. 
Petherick’s expedition to assist them had met with 
misfortune, and we trusted to be able to reach the 
•equator, and perhaps to meet our Zanzibar explorers 
somewhere about the sources of the Nile. Although 
we had worked hard throughout all seasons, over an 
immense extent of country, we were both strong and 
well, and the rest of some months at Khartoum had 
•only served to inspire us with new vigour for the 
commencement of the work before us. By the 17th 
December, 1862, our preparations were completed; 
three vessels were laden with large quantities of 
stores—400 bushels of corn, twenty-nine transport 

* The account of the White Nile voyage, with the happy meeting 
of Captains Speke and Grant, and the subsequent discovery of the 
'‘Albert N’yanza,” has been already given in the work of that 
title. 



.chap, xxii.] FAREWELL TO CIVILIZATION. 


575 


animals, including camels, donkeys, and horses (among 
the latter was my old hunter Tete]). Ninety-six souls 
formed my whole party, including forty well-armed 
men, with Johann Schmidt and Richarn. On the 
18th December we sailed from Khartoum upon the 
White Nile towards its unknown sources, and bade 
farewell to the last vestige of law, government, and 
civilization. I find in my journal, the last words 
written at our departure upon this uncertain task, 
“ God grant us success; if He guides, I have no 
fear.” 




















































































• 


















































































































































' 


























. 





























Sandy and Pehblx 


h’o permanent habitat, om 
River tixvn 400to60Oy^?\vidt 
hush ofMimosa& some Kiln, 
torhait'a mile t'riuninq Hr h> 


not permanent 
hxmsitoty cherts 
that vans/i in a few days 


torrents are i 
/v r lerely tin 
n tempests ' 


A Ariels 


The river Gash loses itself in the 
sands of the desen in subterranean 
channels& has no outlet. Mater is 
reached by, wells 45l'!deep in.the 
desert behtfi'eti Gozertgitp&l assala. 
^evidently thr'al/sorhed waters of 

fSeG^slu¥ \ J \ ) 

\aO /' Kirill-!'A 


Mimosi 


,Masso>vab 


one 


\. l »0(bfi'Sa barej >, ( 

mass of-ani/iite 

^ K ALLONCA ARA 


(tutrahn 


Oounasse 


Mimosa bus 




Crete nc 


R uiar 


Mimosa bush 


No water 


Elep 

iron 


you 


fe of' ti is country from the river 
Cass ah, between 13 '& 16 ‘N. Lat 
adapted for cotton cultivation, 
regular Horn June to Sep. 1.x 


■ihabitecl ch . 


ninq 


nut 


HAMRAN ARABS 

(sheik owatt) 

\ Rroeroh >. , |,r T 


[ifJJIulukoor j 

i Qzooo fijy 


A R I F \ \ , 

Ro urne/AAS o ii 

A AA AA 


Motor < 


•rent 


Beihmun 




>-'7 9 Mat Git blue 
, \ ^ 

1 | Melem n ui =^ 

M EK° N I M R'Sjl^ 
T E R R ! T 0 R Y ^ 


tin t Prairies d- Mimosa 

Hippopotami in all the lard 
p rivet's Mr other animals as hi 
the north of the river Scttite 


l v 

\f! Bodnkatan 

5000 t 

v- 


S her if cl Ibrahinr 


Mahomet<el\ Modi 


emiaai 


A MAP OF 


ARM AT.) OllO, 

Park- like ct > untryj^gr 1 1 
well watered -- 

Wuhoot M' 


SIR SAMUEL WHITE BAKERS ROUTES 


aooo / 


■f/Ulol 


oimtc 


Meteniimv* 

n here in Miy 

0 U R I S 


hi )wo 

Mp 3000 ft 


Sokota 


Gondar 


Rote: The Sati res have names fur many loeidid.es, but 
no place that is not a.permanent village is marked 
upon this niafi. lTic route Hue is the direct march- 
from camp to camp, but flying crplamtians were made. 
v on horses, alone) the foot of the areal mountain chain 




Loudon. Sc Cambridge; Macmillan 4* Co. 











































































































































































































INDEX 




INDEX. 


A. 

Abdekachman, Tokroori servant, in¬ 
tended pilgrimage of, to Mecca, 350, 
352; gratitude and affection of, 
352. 

Abdoolahi, Tokroori attendant, accident 
to, caused by rashness while riding 
a camel, and narrow escape of, 471. 

Abdul Azziz Company, steamers of, 72. 

Abou Do, father of Abou Do Roussoul, 
singular and picturesque appearance 
of, 296, 333; hippopotamus har¬ 
pooned by, 336 et seq. 

Abou Dome, village on the route to 
Khartoum, 554. 

Abou Do Roussoul, nephew of Sheik 
Owat, Hamran Arab, splendid ap¬ 
pearance of, 281 ; joins Sir S. Baker’s 
hunting party, 281 ; jealousy of, 
354 ; covetousness of, 402 ; dismissed 
from the party, ib. ; breaks a pro¬ 
mise, 407, 408 ; caught in the act, 
408 ; disappointed in his prize, 409. 

Abou Hammed, arrival at, 14 ; bath 
at, 15 ; start from, 16 ; route from, 
along the Kile, ib. 

Abou Harraz, village on the banks of 
the Blue Nile, miserable appearance 
of, 547 ; arrival at, ib. ; turning 
point on the road from Katariff to 
Khartoum, ib. ; attempt to obtain a 
boat at, to sail up Blue Nile, 550 ; 
start from, 551. 

Abre, a large village passed by the 
explorers, 68 ; halt near, on account 
of Lady Baker’s renewed attack of 
fever, ib. 

Abrey, food used by nomadic Arabs, 
537 ; fine quality of, 538. 

Abyssinia, mountain ranges of, 306, 
334, 400, 476 ; rivers of, 280 ; pecu¬ 
liar character of all rivers of, 549 ; 
market of, 524. 

Abyssinian Alps, 334, 476. 

Abyssinian territory, frontier of, unde¬ 


termined, 512 ; fairly quitted by the 
traveller on arrival at Raliad river, 
524 ; protected from Egyptians by 
the English, 560 ; at the mercy of 
Egypt, ib. 

Acacia Arabica, Soorit, fruit of, used 
for tanning, 180 ; fallen trees of, ob¬ 
structions on the Dinder river, 529. 

Aclimet, relative of Mahomet the 
dragoman, chosen by him as servant, 
84 ; bitten by a scorpion, 104 ; theft 
by, and flight of, 207 ; last heard of, 
426, note. 

Adansonia digitata, homera tree, gi¬ 
gantic size of, 355 : halt beneath, for 
shelter, ib. ; fruit of, 356 ; hollow 
trunk of, sometimes used as a re¬ 
servoir for water, ib. 

Agates found in the desert, 59. 

Aggageers, 167 ; famed elephant sword- 
hunters, 171 ; party of, join Sir S. 
Baker, 281; appearance of, on starting 
for the hunt, 297, 319 ; bloody inten¬ 
tions of, towards the Base tribe, 377 ; 
their wonderful knowledge of the 
country, 320 ; lame the horses by 
reckless riding, 402 (see Hamran 
Arabs). 

Aggahr, name given to one of Sir S. 
Baker’s horses, purchase of, 242 ; 
accident with, while hunting, 480 ; 
search for, 480, 481 ; alarm of Lady 
Baker, caused by return of, without 
his rider, 482 ; death of, 521. 

Ali, son of Slieik Achmet Abou Sinn, 
reception of Sir S. Baker by, at Ru- 
faar, 551 ; unpleasant manners of, ib. 

Allatakoora hill, great height of, 399. 

Ambatch wood (Anemone mirabilis), 
extreme lightness of, 176,333 ; raft 
made of, 176 ; float or buoy of, 
fastened to the harpoon for hippo¬ 
potamus hunting, 333. 

Amulets, moustaches of lions worn as, 
supposed protection from will ani- 

. mals, 423. 


P P 2 


580 


INDEX. 


Ancient forts, vestiges of, on either 
side of the Nile, 2. 

Angarep, Arab bedstead, present of, 
from Achmet Wat el Negur, 285 ; 
comfort of, in a warm climate, 182. 

Angrab river, tributary of the Nile, 
intention of Sir S. Baker to explore, 
280 ; assistance obtained from Mek 
Nimmur in exploring, 459 ; arrival 
at, 466 ; tracing the course of, from a 
high rock, 466 ; junction of, with the 
Salaam, 467 ; extraordinary appear¬ 
ance of, at the mouth, ib. ; example 
of the destructive effect of water on 
rocks, 468 ; effect of, on Nile, ib. 

Animals, of the desert, their places of 
resort in times of drought, 34, 35 ; 
caution to be remembered after shoot¬ 
ing, 383 ; habits of, all depend on 
the nature of the localities they 
inhabit, 530. 

Ankoleep, species of dhurra or corn, 
sweetness of, 244. 

Annexation, principal object of, 76. 

Antelopes, many varieties of, 64, 543 ; 
manner of stalking, 64, 86, 87 ; 

shooting of one, of a fine species, 
377 ; of another species, 386 ; skins, 
of, how tanned and used, 180, 181 ; 
thirteen varieties of, seen by Sir S. 
Baker, 543 ; catalogue of different 
species, ib. 

Arabs, banks of the river occupied by, 
34 ; appetite of, for raw meat, 57, 384; 
uniformity of dress among the tribes, 
65 ; arival and encampment of 
several hundreds round Sir S. Baker’s 
fires, 67 ; evening prayers of, ib. ; ap¬ 
plications of, for medicine, ib. ; de¬ 
fence of their country by, against 
Egyptians, 74; ease with which they 
ride camels, 99; annual migrations of, 
107, 109, et seq. ; adherence of, to 
ancient customs, 127 ; strong religious 
feeling of, 129 ; nomadic habits of, 
128; daily habits of, illustrate Old 
Testament, 129 et seq. ; few require¬ 
ments of, 129 ; eagerness of, to see new 
arrivals, 143 ; faith in the Faky’s or 
priest’s power, 157 ; love for relics, 
159 ; doctoring by, 164, 165 ; un¬ 
pleasant way of showing honour to a 
guest, 227 ; custom of scarifying the 
cheeks, 273 ; hunting of (see Hamran 
Arabs). 

Arab girl, extraordinary escape of, from 
drowning, 258 et seq. 

Arabic language, necessity to the ex¬ 
plorer of knowing, 21. 

Ariel ( Gazelle Dama), first sight of, at 
Soojalup, 63 ; shooting of, 86 et seq. 

Arrowroot, manufacture of, 285. 

Asclejpias gigantea plant, character of, 


30 ; medicinally used in Ceylon, ib. ; 
vegetable silk obtained from, ib. ; 
poisonous qualities of, causing blind¬ 
ness, 30, 31. 

Assouan, difficulty and excessive labour 
in cultivating the soil of, 2. 

Atbara river, tributary of the Nile, 
start for the junction of, with the 
Nile, 25 ; route from Berber to, 29, 
30 ; arrival at the junction of, with 
the Nile, 31 ; crossing the dry bed 
of, ib. ; start on the route along 
the margin of, 32 ; appearance 
and breadth of, ib. ; banks of, 
studded with dome palms, ib. ; 
deep pools of water left in the 
sharp bends of, asylums for all 
animals, 34 ; comparison of, with 
the Nile, 35 ; sudden and wonderful 
change in, caused by coming down 
of the river, 51, 52 ; dry bed of, 
filled in one night with a mighty 
stream, 53 ; departure from the 
course of, 59 ; return to the valley 
of, 89 ; commencement of descent 
to, 90 ; changed appearance of, ib. ; 
occurrence of landslips on the banks 
of, ib. ; Arab name of, “Bahr el 
Aswat,” or Black river, why so 
called, 91 ; its maximum height 
reached, 154 ; dangers of crossing, 
from crocodiles, 93 ; crossing, on an 
impromptu raft, 186, 187 ; crossing, 
in sponging bath, 206 ; start from, 
216 ; last return to, at the sharp 
angle, where it issues from the 
mountains, 498; insignificant appear¬ 
ance of, in its infancy, ib. ; power 
of, entirely dependent upon drainage 
of Abyssinia, ib. ; different aspects in 
which seen, 469 ; last sight of, ib. ; 
exploration of, completed, 500. 

Attendants, difficulty of procuring, 25 ; 
two Turkish, sent by Governor of 
Berber, 25 ; three procured at Cassala, 
82, 85 ; difficulty of managing na¬ 
tive, 349. 

B. 

Babonoose Wood, inflammability of, 
197. 

Baboons, sharpness of, in avoiding a 
crocodile, 177 ; bold visits from, 
224 ; a herd of, hunting fdr berries, 
237 ; capture of, by Hamran hunt¬ 
ers, 307 ; whipped by the hunters, 308. 

“Baby” rifle, Arab nick-name for, 
151 ; delight of the Arab hunters on 
seeing, 283 ; elephant killed by, 329. 

Bacheet, young Arab servant procured 
at Cassala, 82 ; waits at table, 183 ; 
his love of sport, 216 ; skill of, in 


INDEX. 


581 


landing fish, 223, 228 ; turns coward, 
252, 256 ; ridiculed by the fair sex, 
319. 

Baggar, name given to the finest 
species of fish in the Atbara, 229 ; 
catching and landing, 228 et seq. ; 
salting, 229. 

Baker, Sir Samuel, his intention to ex¬ 
amine the Nile tributaries, 280 ; 
slight attack of fever, 21 ; unplea¬ 
sant situation of, having lost his way 
while stalking, 88 ; fire-arms carried 
by, 151 ; advantages to, from 
alliance with the Hamran sword- 
hunters, 175; his discussions with 
the sheik on women, &c. 262 et 
seq. ; with Fakeers, 267 ; his fame 
as a physician, 266, 268 ; his jungle 
surgery, 346 ; his “eligible freehold 
residence,” 149 ; his hunting with 
the aggageers (see Hunting) ; sub¬ 
mits to Arab embraces, 277 ; 
352 ; threatens the deserting camel- 
men, 446 ; good health of, 418 ; 
providential escape of, while clean¬ 
ing rifles, 448 ; sends his card to 
Mek Nimmur, 452; supposed 
feats of, the subject of song, 454 ; 
saves a camel that had fallen over a 
precipice,. 472 ; narrow escape of, 
while riding Aggahr, 480 ; his dis¬ 
cussions with missionaries at Galla- 
bat, 504 et seq. ; administers justice 
in a case of robbery, 514, 515 ; ac¬ 
cepts a challenge from an insolent 
native Tokroori, 519; pleasure of, 
on seeing the “British Lion,” 
556 ; observations of, on the re¬ 
sources of the Nile as an irrigator of 
Egypt, 562 et seq. 

Baker, Lady, illness of, at Moorahd, 
12 ; attacked by fever, 21: illness 
of, caused by arrival in the flooded 
country, 66 ; a riding camel chosen 
for, by El JBaggar, 100 ; dangerous 
attack of gastric fever at Sofi, 155 ; 
crosses the Atbara in a sponging 
bath, 206; assistance of, in camp 
arrangements and decorations, 151 ; 
kindness of, to the Arab women and 
children, 266 ; prepares for an at¬ 
tack of a buffalo, 312 ; kindness of, 
to the slave women, 215, 427 ; fear 
of danger to, from the Base, 390 ; 
liysena seen by, in the tent at night, 
473 ; great alarm of, on seeing Ag¬ 
gahr return to the tent without his 
rider, 481, 482. 

Bamboos, on the banks of the Angrab, 
467. , 

Barrake, slave woman purchased by Sir 
Samuel Baker, 274: engagement 
with, 275 ; singularly misunder¬ 


stands the duties expected of her, 
277 ; illness of, from eating fruit of 
the Hegleek tree, 368; death of, 427. 

Basalt rocks, appearance of, on the 
Settite river, 400 ; extraordinary 
appearance of, at the mouth of 
the Angrab, 468 ; destructive effect 
of water seen on, ib. ; perpendicu¬ 
lar column of, with a waterfall, 
497. 

Base tribe, origin of, unknown, 81 ; 
inroads made on the territory of, by 
Egyptians, 80 ; general opinion of 
the ferocity of, ib. ; hostility of, to 
all surrounding countries, 80, 81 ; 
slaves, the only plunder obtained 
from, 81 ; valuable as allies to the 
Egyptians, 82 ; terror inspired by, 
301, 316, 348 ; their fear of fire¬ 
arms, 377; rumours of expected 
attacks from, 399, 401 ; hunting in 
the country of (see Hunting) ; en¬ 
joyment of exploring the country, 
444. 

Basket-work, cleverness of Arab women 
in, 182. 

Bathing of Arab women, mode of, 265. 

Bayard, fishing for, 213, 214. 

Bazaar at Katariff, Manchester and 
German goods sold at, 271; amusing 
scenes at, 272. 

Bedouins, 115 ; many tribes claim to 
be descended from, ib. 

Bees, fondness of, for the hollow 
trunks of homera trees, 355. 

“Belgravia” of Khartoum, 555. 

Berber, town on the Nile, arrival at, 
17 ; description of, 18; kind recep¬ 
tion given by the governor or Mu- 
dir of, 18 ; hospitality of Halleem 
EfFendi, former governor, ib. ; sur¬ 
rounded by well-cultivated gardens, 
ib. ; water of the Nile made use of 
for irrigation at, 19 ; visit from the 
governor of, ib. ; departure from, at 
sunset, 29. 

Birds, brilliant colours of, change, 178; 
nest-building of, 224 ; migrations of, 
233 ; swarms of, on bushes beside 
Atbara river, 239 ; way of drinking, 
ib. ; constant pursuit of small, by 
falcons and hawks, ib. 

Birds of prey (see Vultures). 

Bishareen Arabs, desert north of At¬ 
bara occupied by, 37 ; fire-arms un¬ 
known to, 40 ; peculiar mode of 
wearing their hair, 57 ; taxes paid by, 
58 ; dislike of, to Turkish soldiers, 
ib. ; difficulty of procuring supplies- 
from, how overcome, 58, 59. 

Bivouac, evening, 135 ; jungle should 
be avoided for, at night, 302 ; cover 
lets used for, of ox-hides, 517. 


582 


INDEX. 


Blood-stones found in the desert, 59; 
large masses of, oil the hills on the 
route from Ombrega, 450. 

Bine Nile, junction of Diuder with, 
547 ; of Bah ad with, 548 ; arrival at 
the banks of, ib. ; grand appearance 
of, opposite Abou Harraz, 550; 
clearness of the water, reason of the 
name, 552; unnavigable in many 
places, ib. ; ferry across to Khartoum, 
a, 554. 

Boa constrictor (python), escape of a, 
237. 

Boar, encounter with a, 331; Bicharn 
wounded by a, 332. 

Boat, difficulty of procuring, on the 
Nile, 550. 

Bolognesi (Signor Angelo), Italian mer¬ 
chant, meeting with, at Gallabat, 
503. 

Boorkatan, table mountain, description 
of interesting country neai*, 399. 

Boulti, species of perch caught at Col- 
lodobad, 44 ; mention made of, by 
Bruce, the traveller, ib. ; use of, as 
bait, 212. 

Boxes, for rough travelling should be 
of japanned metal, 540. 

Breech-loaders, luxury of, 539 ; why 
not well suited for damp climates, ib. 

Bruce, Abyssinian traveller, dread en¬ 
tertained by, of sand columns, 24 ; 
Blue Nile traced to its source by, 
573. 

Buffaloes, hunt and capture of, 310 et 
scq. ; value of a young one taken 
alive, as a zoological specimen, 
312 ; shooting of, 382 ; carcase 
of, used as bait for lions, 413 
et scq. ; flesh of, not suited for 
drying, 538 ; some hundreds killed 
by Sir S. Baker, 539 ; not so formi¬ 
dable as elephants or rhinoceros, ib. 

Bullets, making of, 284 ; different 
kinds of, 542. 

Buoy for floating cargo across the river, 
of a tetel’s skin, 200. 

Burning-glass, use of, to a traveller, 
385, 541. 

Butter, enormous consumption of, by 
Sheik Abou Sinn, 116 ; for cooking 
purposes, what made of, 426. 

Buzzards, attracted by fire, boldness of, 
235. 


C. 

Cairo, boat voyage from, 1 ; extracts 
from journal written during voyage 
from, 1 et scq. 

Camels, feeding of, 9 ; “ camel’s grave ” 
at Moorahd, 9; skeletons of, in the 


desert, 14 ; death of one in the 
desert, 17 ; support required for, in 
swimming, 69, 93 ; one drowned, 
69 ; theft of, 93, 94 ; difficulty of 
procuring, 82 ; unpleasantness of, for 
riding, compared with dromedaries, 
99 ; ease with which Arabs ride, ib. ; 
migration of, in rainy season, 108 ; 
milk of, ib. ; flight of one from a 
lion, 421 ; one hundred and two 
stolen by Mek Nimmur’s foraging 
party, 451 ; narrow escape of one, 
from a fall, 472 ; torture of, by flies, 
on a march, 527. 

Camel-drivers abscond with camels, 93 
et scq. ; refusal to enter Mek Nim¬ 
mur’s territory, 445 ; forced submis¬ 
sion of, 446 ; robbery by one, 514. 

Camp, purchase of a new permanent, 
at Soft, 148; furniture of, 151, 152; 
conveniences of, 149 et seq. ; pleasant 
life in, 214, 216 ; danger to, from 
firing the grass, 391. 

Canoe, failure in launching, 176. 

Carriage, expenses of, 17, 272. 

Cassala, capital of Taka country, situa¬ 
tion of, 59; depot for Egyptian 
troops, and military supplies, ib. ; 
route from Atbara river to, 60 et 
seq. ; arrival at, 69; respect paid by 
the governor of, to the firman, 70 ; 
hospitality experienced at, ib. ; visit 
from Elias Bey, the governor, ib. ; 
possibility of a more direct route to, 
72 ; bazaar in, 74; fortifications of, 
useless against cannon, ib. ; neigh¬ 
bourhood of, well adapted for a mili¬ 
tary station, 79, 80 ; start from, 82. 

Cassala mountain, appearance and 
height of, 68. 

Catalogue des espfcces du genre antilope, 
543 et seq. 

Centau rs, 1 ikeness of Arab hunters to, 2 9 7. 

Ceylon, plan of shooting in, 291 ; 
habits of elephants in, 530; former 
irrigation of, compared to present, 
569 et scq. 

Ceylon rifles, giraffes shot with, 192,196. 

“Chickens,” Tokroori, 519. 

Chimbane, deadly instrument of war 
used by the Tokrooris, or Mahom- 
metan negroes, 511. 

Church, Abyssinian, danger of disunion 
in, by introduction of fresh doctrine 
among the natives, 504. 

Civilization, pleasure of returning to, 
after wild life, 554 ; dependent on 
the physical condition of a country, 
568 et scq. 

Cliffs, beautiful colours of, at Geera, 245. 

Coffee, camel’s milk unsuited for, 108 ; 
luxury of, when halting, 133 ; largely 
exchanged by Abyssinian merchants 


INDEX. 


583 


at Gallabat for cotton, 503; cheapness 
of, ib. 

Coin, current among the Arabs, 176 ; 
Austrian dollar of Maria Theresa the 
favourite, 175, 176. 

Collodobad, deepest and largest pool of 
water on the Atbara, at, 36 ; halt at, 
ib. ; distress of Arabs congregated at, 
from scarcity of food, 37; hippopotami 
reported to be first seen at, ib. ; search 
for, and shooting of two, 38 et seq. ; 
savage delight of the Arabs over their 
carcases, 43 ; and gratitude to Sir S. 
Baker for the supply of food, 44. 

Commissariat, arrangement of, for the 
march, 538. 

Compass, found useful to Sir S. Baker, 
88 ; desire of the Tokrooris to con¬ 
sult, 526 ; their name for, ib. 

Conical projectiles, velocity of, 542 ; fa¬ 
cility of loading with, ib. ; disadvan¬ 
tages of, to the hunter, ib. 

Consulate, English, at Khartoum, arri¬ 
val at, 556 ; menagerie of wild beasts 
in, 557 et seq. 

Coor fish, description of, 225. 

Coorbatch, Arab whip of hippopotamus 
hide, used for camels, 99 ; use of, in 
love-making and matrimony, 125 ; 
made by Florian, 145. 

Copper, evidences of the presence of, 
451 ; water poisoned by, 460. 

Corn, 524 (see Dhurra). 

Cornelian, white, abundance of, seen on 
the hills passed on the route from 
Ombrega, 450. 

Cotton, capabilities of country for culti¬ 
vation of, 65, 73, 180, 249, 512, 
525, 571 ; use of, by Arabs, 65 ; 
weaving of, by Arabs, ib. ; in the 
market of Gallabat, produced by 
Tokrooris, 511 ; how the supply of, 
might be increased by irrigation, 
571 ; by emigration of Tokrooris 
from Darfur, 512. 

Crocodiles, warning against, while fish¬ 
ing, by Arabs, 44 ; shooting, 51, 94, 
et seq. ; men killed by, when crossing 
the river, 93, 234 ; flesh of, used as 
food, 96 ; one found far from water, 
224 ; party of women attacked by, 
239; cunning of, 240 ; peculiar mode 
of stalking, 393; most dangerous 
kind found in the Dinder river, 528. 

Cucumis colocynthis , withered melons, 
bitter taste of, 8; medicinal use of, 
by Arabs, ib. 

D. 

Dabainas, Arab tribe, 115 ; intended 
razzia upon, by Mek Nimmur’s men, 
447. 


Darfur, inhabitants of, prized as slaves, 
273 ; Tokrooris, natives of, 509 ; why 
impenetrable to civilization, ib. ; un- 
fruitfulness of, ib. ; emigration from, 
should be encouraged, 512. 

Delladilla, forest on the margin of the 
Settite river, encampment at, 372, 
373; pleasantness of, for a camp, 374, 

417 ; furthest spot visited by Euro¬ 
peans, 389; encampment removed 
from, sixteen miles further up, ib. ; 
return to, 410 ; abundance of game 
found at, ib. ; buffaloes and lions 
shot at, 411 et seq. ; healthiness of, 

418 ; death of Barrake at, 427 ; 
camp removed from, ib. et seq. 

Delta of Lower Egypt, how formed, 
499. 

Desert country, suffering of animals in, 
9 et seq. ; comfort of travelling by 
the bank of a river in, 36. 

“Devil’s horse,” Arab’s name for se¬ 
cretary bird, 60. 

Dhurra grain, use of, for camel’s food, 
9 ; price of, 77 ; sowing of, 78; 
bread of, 79 ; analysis of, by Pro- 
fessor Johnstone, ib. ; capabilities of 
the country for cultivation of, 77. 

Dik-dik, very small antelope, 96. 

Dinder river, tributary of the Nile, 
Sir S. Baker’s intention to explore, 
280 ; course of, parallel with the 
Rah ad, 523 ; arrival at, 527 ; banks 
of, thronged with Kussana Arabs, 
527 ; similarity of, to Rahad, 528 ; 
trees in the vicinity of, ib. ; dangerous 
crocodiles found in, ib. ; maneless 
lion found on the banks of, 529 ; 
obstructions on, to rapid navigation, 
ib. ; monoton)’ of the journey along 
the banks, 528, 547. 

Dochan, grain, species of millet, culti¬ 
vation of, 244. 

Dogs, one carried off by a leopard, 
303; Arabs’ cure for distemper in, 165. 

Dome palms, found on the banks 
the Atbara river, 32 ; description of, 
and uses of, ib. ; preparation of food 
from fruit of, 33 ; Arabs chiefly sup¬ 
ported by the fruit of, in times of 
scarcity, ib. ; only shade on the route 
along the margin of the river afforded 
by, 34. 

Dongalowas, Florian’s attendants, 369. 

Dragoman (see Mahomet). 

Drainage, entire want of, in flat country 
between Goozerajup and Cassala, 65 ; 
of the mountains, the cause of the 
sudden rise of Nile and Atbara, 
400. 

Dromedary, riding camel (see IDj- 
gccn). 


584 


INDEX. 


E. 

Eggs, omelettes of turtle’s, 374 ; cheap¬ 
ness of, in the country near the JRahad 
river, 526. 

Egypt, a new, formed beneath the 
Mediterranean, by deposits washed 
down by the Settite river, 499, 564 ; 
revenues of Upper, might he in¬ 
creased by establishment of Tokroori 
colonies, 512 ; arrival on the soil of 
Upper, at Rahad river, 524 ; irriga¬ 
tion of, 565 et seq. ; and magnificent 
possible results to, of irrigation, 568, 
571. 

Egyptians, conquest of Arab tribes by, 
74 ; indifference of, to future well¬ 
being of conquered races, 75; changes 
in their government of conquered 
Arab tribes since Sir S. Baker’s visit 
to the country, ib. ; government of, 
why mistrusted by the Arabs, 76; 
taxes, how raised, ib. ; warfare with 
Mek Ninnnur, 278 et seq. ; 459, 461 ; 
called “Turks,” by the neighbour¬ 
ing tribes, 461 ; Mai Gubba, head¬ 
quarters of Mek Nimmur, destroyed 
by, 444. 

Egyptian troops, destroyed by thirst in 
crossing the Nubian desert, 12, 13 ; 
soldier murdered by an Arab, 235; 
twenty thousand generally kept in 
the Soudan, 560 ; principal stations 
of, ib. 

Ehetilla, Arab name for the spot of 
Sir S. Baker’s encampment, opposite 
Soli, on the Atbara river, 216 ; de¬ 
scription of encampment at, 206 ; 
crossing the river to reach, 205 et seq. ; 
charmingly independent life at, 216 ; 
shooting and fishing at, extracts 
from journal describing, 216 et seq. ; 
move from, to Wat el Negur, 248. 

El Baggar, black servant given by 
Governor of Cassala, renown of, as a 
sportsman, 85 ; his selection of a 
riding camel for Lady Baker, 100. 

Electricity, in hair and woollen ma¬ 
terials, produced by heat and dry¬ 
ness of the air, curious effect of, 17. 

Elephants, hunting by aggageers, 172 
et seq. ; at Wat el Negur, 254 
et seq. ; in Tooleet jungle, 289 ; 
of a bull, at Ombrega, 304, 305 ; 
close and dangerous fight with a 
bull, by aggageers, sword in hand, 
323; discovery of a herd of, 325 ; 
one killed by the “Baby” rifle, 
329 ; seven killed by Sir S. Baker’s 
hunting party in one day, 330 ; 
hunters chased by one, 435 ; danger¬ 
ous encounter with one, 437 et seq. ; 
shooting, 478 et seq. ; horses used in 


hunting them, 172 ; dangers of hunt¬ 
ing, 174 ; dead carcases of, found 
drowned, 178 ; eagerness of the 
people over a dead one, 178 ; cunning 
of, 250 ; damage done by, to dhurra 
fields, ib. ; difficulty of tracking, 320 ; 
herds of, near the Dinder, never 
found so large as were expected, 529 ; 
description of, 531 et seq. ; dis¬ 
tinguishing features of Indian and 
African, ib. ; measurements of, 532 ; 
ear of, used as a mat, ib. ; harmless- 
ness of, a mistaken idea, 533 ; African 
most dangerous, ib. ; one killed by 
sword when shot failed, 327 ; shot in 
the forehead proved not fatal to 
African, ib. ; encounter with, by 
aggageers, without fire-arms, 344 ; 
Jali’s leg broken by one, 345 ; flesh 
of, disagreeable for food, 341 ; foot 
and trank of, excellent as food, 534 ; 
how to make use of the fat of, 535 ; 
tusks of, why difficult to obtain an 
exact pair, 533. 

Elias Bey, governor of Cassala, firman 
kissed by, 70 ; visit from, ib. 

Emigration of Tokrooris from Darfur, 
advantages of encouraging, 512. 

Encampment, in the garden of Halleem 
Effendi, outside Berber, 18 ; on the 
banks of Atbara at Collodobad, 37; 
at Cassala among wild fig-trees, 69; on 
the Atbara at Goorasliee, 98 ; atSofi, 
with a new camp, 149 ; removal of, 
to the high plateau on the opposite 
bank at Ehetilla, 206, 211 ; at Wat 
el Negur, 248 ; on an island in the 
Settite river, 313, 315 ; at Delladilla, 
in the Base country, 372 et seq. ; 
under tamarind trees, at Ombrega, 
444 ; in Mek Nimmur’s territory, 
450 ; on the banks of the Salaam 
river, 466. 

England, power of, in protecting tho 
Abyssinian territory, 560. 

Etiquette, Arab, 112. 

European acquaintances made by Sir 
S. Baker in Africa almost all dead, 
371 ; goods sold at bazaar, at Kata- 
riff, 271 ; pleasure of meeting with, 
at Gallabat, 503. 

Exodus, yearly, Arabs’ enjoyment of, 

110 . 

Expedition to explore the Nile tribu¬ 
taries and Base country, commence¬ 
ment of, 4 ; launch into the Nubian 
desert, 5 ; route across the desert, 6, 
et seq. ; halt at Moorahd, 11 ; dreadful 
route from Koroskoto Abou Hammed, 
15; sight of the Nile, ib. ; start from 
Abou Hammed, 16 ; route along the 
margin of the Nile, ib. ; arrival at 
the town of Berber, 17 ; hospitable 


INDEX. 


585 


reception by tlie governor and 
Halleem Effendi, 18 et seq. ; a week’s 
rest in the gardens, 21 ; visit to Lady 
Baker of Turkish ladies, 22 ; start from 
Berber to Atbara river, 25 ; trouble 
with the dragoman, and amusing 
scenes in consequence, 28 et seq. ; arri¬ 
val at junction of the Atbara with the 
Nile, 30 ; crossing the dry bed of the 
Atbara, 31 ; appearance of the river, 
32 ; start on the route along the 
margin, ib. ; intense beat during the 
march, 35 ; comfort of travelling 
along the banks of a river in the 
desert, 36 ; arrival at the large pool 
of Collodobad, ib. ; encampment 
at Collodobad, 37; hippopotamus¬ 
shooting at Collodobad, 41 et seq. ; 
fishing 44 et seq. ; shooting gazelles, 
47, 49 ; nearly suffocated by a whirl¬ 
wind, 51 ; crocodile-shooting, ib. ; 
sudden change on the Atbara, 52 et 
seq. ; start from Collodobad, 54 ; 
route along the margin of Atbara 
continued, 55 et seq. ; pyramidical 
hills at Gozerajup, 59 ; change 
of route, Atbara river left, 59 ; arri¬ 
val at limits of Nubian desert, 61; ar¬ 
rival at Soojalup, 62 ; fertility of the 
country, ib. ; abundance of game, 
ib. 63 ; halt in the flooded country, 
on account of illness of Lady Baker, 
66 ; visit of crowds of Arabs round 
the camp fires, 67 ; Sir S. Baker gets 
fame as a physician, 68 ; arrival at Cas- 
sala, 69 ; hospitality of Malem Geor- 
gis, a Greek merchant, 70 ; residence 
at Cassala, ib. ; description of, and 
country near, 73 et seq. ; informa¬ 
tion acquired concerning Base tribe, 
their rumoured ferocity, 80, 81 ; 
start from Cassala, crossing the Gash 
river, 85 ; march to rejoin the At¬ 
bara, ib. et seq. ; arrival at valley of 
Atbara, 89 ; descent to the river, 
90 ; encampment on the banks, 92 ; 
violent deluge of rain, ib. ; crocodile 
shooting, 95 et seq. ; encampment at 
Goorashee, 98 ; procuring hygeens or 
riding camels, 100 et seq. ; start from 
Goorashee, 102 ; halt on account of a 
coming storm, 104; discovery of 
scorpions, 104, 106 ; continuation of 
march along Atbara river, 106 et 
seq. ; commencement of rainy season, 
107 ; its effect on the country, ib. ; 
meeting with natives migrating to 
the north, ib. ; arrival at the camp 
of Sheik Abou Sinn, the great Arab 
patriarch, 110; visit from the sheik, 
110 et seq. ; an Arab welcome, 113 
et seq. ; arrival at head-quarters of 
Sheik Atalan Wat Said, and hospi¬ 


table reception by, 136, 137; infor¬ 
mation obtained about Mek Nimmur, 
the Leopard King, 138 ; arrival at 
the junction of the Settite with the 
Atbara, 136 ; escorted to Sofi, by 
Atalan Wat Said, 141 ; meeting with 
Florian the German, 142 ; per¬ 
manent encampment at Sofi, 149 et 
seq. ; meeting with Hamran Arab 
sword-hunters, or aggageers, 167; 
engagement with some, to join the 
hunting party, ib. et seq. ; exploits of 
the sword-hunters, 171, 173 et seq.; 
extracts from journal describing Sir 
S. Baker’s life at Sofi, 175 et seq. ; 
cross to opposite side of river, and 
encampment at Ehetilla, 205, 206, 
et seq. ; life at Ehetilla, extracts 
from journal, descriptive of, 216 
et seq. ; excursion from Ehetilla for 
shooting, 216 et seq. ; fishing near 
the mouth of the Till, 220 et seq. ; 
remove to Wat el Negur, 248 ; pre¬ 
parations made for hunting expedi¬ 
tion in the Base country, 274, 284 ; 
purchase and engagement of a slave 
woman, 274 ; engagement of 
Tokrooris or Mahometan negroes, 
274 ; discussions with Sheik Wat el 
Negur on women, 262 et seq. ; with 
Fakeers, 267 ; shooting and hunting 
with the Arab sword-hunters, 288 et 
seq. ; encampment on an island in the 
Settite river, 313, 315 ; hunting of 
elephants, buffaloes, rhinoceros, lions, 
in the Base country, 288 et seq. (see 
Hunting); hippopotamus harpoon¬ 
ing, 335 et seq. ; encampment at 
Delladilla forest, 372 ; start along 
the upward course of the Royan, 
432 ; encampment at Ombrega, 444 ; 
arrival and stay in Mek Nimmur’ster- 
ritory, 451 et seq. ; visit of minstrels 
to the camp, 453 ; arrival at Salaam 
and Angrab rivers, 465, 466 ; shoot¬ 
ing in the country round, 467 et seq. ; 
march again to the Atbara, 497 ; reach 
it where it issues from the hills, 498 ; 
last look of it from Toganai village, 
499; exploration of Atbara com¬ 
pleted, 500 ; leave the village of To¬ 
ganai and arrive at Gallabat, market- 
town, 501; encampment at, and 
meeting with Europeans, 502, 503 ; 
a stroll through the market, 503 ; 
march from Gallabat to the river 
Rahad, 517 et seq. ; death of two 
horses at Roumele, 521 ; exhausting 
march from Roumele to Rahad river, 
and monotony of the country on the 
route, ib. ; extreme thirst of the 
men, 522 ; reach the banks of the 
Rahad, ib. ; route along the banks, 


586 


INDEX. 


monotony of, 524 ct scq. ; stall from 
Rahad to the Din tier, 527 ; march 
along the hanks of the Dinder, 528 ; 
arrive at Aboil liarraz, on the Blue 
Nile, 548 ; unsuccessful attempt to 
procure a boat to sail to Khartoum, 
550 ; route along the Nile to Khar¬ 
toum, fearful heat of, 553 ; inhospi¬ 
tality of the Arabs met with, ib. ; 
cunning of a Faky, ib. ; hospitable 
reception at Rufaar, head quarters of 
Sheik Abou Sinn, 551; arrival at Abou 
Dome, and view of Khartoum, 554 ; 
ferry across the Blue Nile, ib. ; 
pleasure of returning to civilization, 
ib. ; residence in the British con¬ 
sulate, ib. it scq. ; observations on 
the rivers by the explorer, 563 ct scq. 

F. 

Fattjt, the Arab’s cure for all com¬ 
plaints, 157. 

Fakeer, Faky, or priest, numerous ap¬ 
plications to, for all maladies, 157 ; 
the only Arab M.D., ib. ; the Koran 
his complete pharmacopoeia, 157, 
158; reverence for the dead body of 
a, 162 ; grave of a Faky at Soli, ib. 
ct scq. ; theological discussions of Sir 
S. Baker with, 267 ; religious belief 
of, ib. ; instance of cunning and 
inhospitality of a, 553. 

Falcons, small birds constantly pursued 
by, 239. 

Family tree, Mahomet’s, incalculable 
extent of, 83. 

Fat, great desideratum of Arabs, 116 ; 
used for head-dressing, 117 ; effect 
upon, of a journey in the desert, ib. ; 
necessary for the skin in hot cli¬ 
mates, 127; of elephants, how to 
use, 535. 

Fazogle, mines of gold worked at, by 
Egyptian Government, 98. 

Feasts, holy, of Arabs, 202. 

Ferry across the Atbara, 92; across 
the Blue Nile at Khartoum, 554. 

Fever, slight attacks of, 21, 66, 68 ; 
severe attack of, Lady Baker at Soli, 
155 ; cured by quinine, 70 : causes 
of, 66, 227, 561. 

Fight, dangerous sword-in-hand, of 
aggageers, with an elephant, 323 ; 
with native Tokrooris, 518. 

Fig-trees, wild, at Cassala, 69. 

Firing the grass, difficulty of, 385 ; the 
camp endangered by, 391 ; on the 
bank of the Royan, 441. 

Firman, procured from the Viceroy, 4 ; 
kissed by Elias Bey, 70 ; a never- 
failing talisman, 82; not respected 
by Jemma, a Tokrooii sheik, 507. 


Fish eagle, daring feat of a, 40. 

Fishing at Collodobad, 44 ct seq. ; 
difficulty of procuring bait for, in the 
desert, 44 ; excitement of, in the At¬ 
bara pools, 44; near the mouth of 
the Till, 213 ; exciting run, 221 et 
scq. ; for baggar, 229, 231. 

Florian, German settler at Sofi, wel¬ 
come of, 142 ; stone house belonging 
to, 143 ; why settled at Sofi, 145 ; 
146; means of living, ib. ; valuable 
information given by, regarding 
seasons, 146, 147 ; agrees to ac¬ 
company the hunting expedition, 
147; illness of, at Sofi, 155; horse 
purchased by, 286 ; first attempt at 
mounting, ib. ; severe illness of, 369; 
death of, killed by a lion, 370. 

Fowls, cheapness of, 526 ; presents of, 
brought by the women of Sofi, 266. 

Fox traps, usefulness of, to the traveller 
in catching night game, 541. 

Francolin partridges, five brace shot, 
430 ; excellence of, as game, ib. ; 
might be shot in hundreds near the 
Salaam, 477. 

Frendeet, painful disease, caused by 
drinking the water accumulated in 
pools during the rainy season, 269. 

G. 

Galena, veins of, found, 375. 

Galla, extreme beauty of native women 
of, 516 ; sold for Turkish harems, ib. 

Gallabat, frontier market-town of Abys¬ 
sinia, 483 ; arrival at, 501 ; curiosity 
of the natives, ib. ; market at, ib. ; 
disgusting appearance of the water 
at, 502 ; visit from Jusef, Abyssinian 
merchant, 503 ; principal trade of, 
ib. ; meeting with Signor Bolognesi, 
Italian merchant, ib. ; with two 
German missionaries, 504 ; visit to 
the Sheik, 507. 

Galton (Mr. Francis), advice given by, 
for crossing a deep river with a 
horse, 378. 

Game (see Hunting) ; scarcity of, on 
the route along Rahad and Dinder 
rivers, 528 ; different bullets required 
for, 542. 

Game paths made by animals going to 
drink, 403. 

Gardens of Halleem Effendi, on the 
outskirts of Berber, 18 ; artificial 
irrigation of, 19 ; camp in, ib.; de¬ 
parture from, 25. 

Garra, fruit of the Acacia Arabica , use 
of, in tanuing, 180 ; ink made from, 
528. 

Gash, or Mareb river, course of, 66 ; 
country near Cassala flooded by, ib. ; 


INDEX. 


difficulty of fording, 69 ; course of, 
turned by Egyptians, 74 ; recrossing 
of, 85; water of, should be filtered 
during rainy season, 80. 

Gazelles, two seen on the route from 
Moorahd to Abou Hammed, 13 ; 
stalking of buck, 47 ; habits and 
beauty of, 48; difference between, 
and those confined in temperate 
regions, ib. ; coarse food of, ib. ; 
flesh of, chief support in the desert, 
49 ; skins of, used for girbas, 49. 

Gazelle, name of one of Sir S. Baker’s 
horses, purchaseof, 242 ; deathof, 521. 

Geera, cliffs of, appearance of the Set- 
tite river between, 245 ; arrival at, 
287 ; start from, for the Base country, 
296. 

Geese (wild), on the Atbara river, 32 ; 
shooting of, 40, 96 ; pairing of, 54. 

German, settler at Soft, delight of, at 
seeing Europeans, 142 ; missionaries 
at Gallabat, 504; goods, sold at 
Katariff market, 271. 

Gerrarat, stronghold of Mek Nim- 
mur, destruction of, 244; curious 
situation of, ib. 

Giraffes, flocks of, seen, 175, 179 ; diffi¬ 
cult stalking of, 188 et seq. 195; 
shooting of, 191 ; statue-like appear¬ 
ance of, 190; beauty of, 192; re¬ 
treat of a herd, 191 ; extraordinary 
power of vision the defence of, 192 ; 
steaks of, 197; flesh of, devoured by 
lions, 202. 

Girbas, water-sacks, preparation of, 49; 
one swallowed by a crocodile in mis¬ 
take for a woman, 239. 

Glands of the crocodile, ornaments of, 
worn by women, 96; musk found in, ib. 

Goats, purchase of, 287; one killed 
by a leopard, 302 ; eat the poisonous 
plant, Asclepias gigantea, 31. 

God, Arab’s reverence for, 129, 130. 

Gold, found in the sand of the Atbara, 
98 ; mines for, at Fazogle, ib. ; dust, 
common in the sand in the ravines, 
461. 

Goorashee, ferry to, 92 ; cotton farm of 
Malem Georgis at, 93 ; encampment 
at, 98 ; gold found in Atbara river at, 
ib. 

Gourds, use of shells of, for cups and 
ladles, 241, 525 ; camel-loads met on 
the road to Gallabat, ib. 

Government of conquered tribes by 
Egyptians, 75. 

Governor of Berber* visit from, 19 ; 
surprise of, on hearing the object of 
expedition, ib. ; friendship of, how 
proved, 24. 

Gozerajup, large permanent village, 
arrival at, 57 ; description of, ib. ; 


587 

four pyramidical hills of granite op¬ 
posite to, 59. 

Granite, pyramidical hills of, at Goze¬ 
rajup, 59 ; Cassala, mountain of, 68; 
hills of, 375. 

Grass, two species of, 209 ; impossible 
to walk over when ripe, 210, 236 ; 
enormous height of, in the jungle, 
310 ; firing of, 384 et seq., 441 ; 
should always be cleared away round 
the camp when dry, 392. 

Grave, camel’s, at Moorahd, 9 ; Faky’s, 
162 et seq. ; of Johann Schmidt, 370. 

Greeks, hospitality of, at Cassala, 70. 

Greyhounds, use of, in coursing 
gazelles, 48. 

Guddabi, nearest viliage to the Salaam, 
483 ; country round, ib. 

Guide, desert, unquestioned authority 
of, 8. 

Guinea-fowl, abundance of, 135; jun¬ 
gles full of, 63. 

Guitars, generally made of turtle-shell, 
203. 

Gum-arabic, varieties of, from mimosa 
tree, 73; beautiful appearance of, 356. 

H. 

Had am, Arab name for working tusk 
of an elephant, 533. 

Hadendowa Arabs, character of, 62 ; 
conquest of, byMehemet Ali Pasha, 
ib. ; country of, ib. ; chief of, im¬ 
prisoned by Egyptians, 75. 

Hadji Achmet, Turkish servant, pro¬ 
vided by the Governor of Berber, 25; 
sent back to Berber, 71. 

Hadji Yelli, Turkish servant, provide 1 
by the Governor of Berber, 25 ;. 
return of, to Berber, 54. 

Hailstones, remains of, in Nubian 
desert, 6. 

Flair of Arabs, Bishareen’s mode of 
dressing, 57 ; distinction of tribes, 
chiefly known by mode of dressing, 
115 etseq. : pomade for, 117 ; dyeing 
of, 120 ; elaborate dressing, by Arab 
women, 121. 

Hallonga tribe, allies of Hadendowa 
tribe in the war with Egyptians, 62. 

Hallowa mountain, unmistakable land¬ 
mark, 522. 

Halt in the desert, 8. 

Hamed, former Sheik of Galabat, im¬ 
prisonment of, by Egyptians, 508 ; 
battle with Jemma, ib. ; appeal of, 
to Egypt for assistance, ib. ; Theo¬ 
dore’s decision in consequence, ib. 

Hamran Arabs; aggageers, or elephant 
sword-hunters, 167 et seq. ; distin¬ 
guishing features of, 167, 168 ; 


588 


INDEX. 


weapons of, 169, 170 ; interview of, 
with Sir S. Baker, 171 ; advantages 
to Sir S. Baker of alliance with, 
175 ; party of, join the hunting expe¬ 
dition, 281 ; splendid appearance of 
some, ib. ; extraordinary feats of, 173 ; 
hunting with, 296 et seq. (see 
Hunting and Aggageers. ) 

Harpoon, dexterous use of, by Abou 
Do, 296; description of, 333 ; hippo¬ 
potamus-hunting with, 336 et seq., 
395 et seq. 

Hawks, small birds constantly pur¬ 
sued by, 239. 

Heat, suffering from, 5 ; terrific, at 
Moorahd, 10 ; on the route along the 
margin of the Atabara, 35 ; on the 
route from Abou Harraz to Khartoum, 
553 ; evaporation of water from 
water-skins caused by, 5 ; effect of, 
on paper, &c. &c. 17. 

Hegleek tree [Balanites AEgyptiaca), 
fruit of, 368 ; burnt wood of, used as 
soap, ib. 

Henna plant, its character, 3. 

Heuglin, Herr Von, expedition of, in 
search of Dr. Vogel, 543; catalogue 
made by, 543 et seq. 

Hippopotamus, search for, at Collodo- 

bad, 39, 40 ; men killed by, 39, 234; 
shooting of, by Sir S. Baker, 41 
et seq. ; shooting of large bull, 51 ; 
a good shot at, 253 ; number killed 
by Florian, 147 ; harpooning of, by 
Abou Do, 336 et seq. ; harpooning 
of, 394 et seq. ; character and habits 
of, 340 et seq. ; teeth of, 54 ; value 
of tusks of, 342 ; wonderful speed of, 
in escaping hunters, 337, 342. 

Hoe (Dutch) use of, a similar implement 
in Soudan, 77. 

Holloway’s pills, why of value to the 
traveller, 67. 

Holy shrines, pest spots of the world, 
infectious disorders generally traced 

to, 160 et seq. 

Homera tree (see Adansonia digitata). 

Honey, abundance of, in rocks and 
hollow trees, 497. 

Hor Mai Gubba, or Nabbuk river, 
mountain torrent, tributary of the 
Koyan, 429 ; encampment near, ib. 

Horns, annulated, of the buck gazelle, 
48; of rhinoceros, great protection 
to the animal, 364 ; of nellut, finest 
obtained, 467 ; of buffalo, 538. 

Horsemanship, Arab, wonderful excite¬ 
ment of, 297, 298. 

Horses, purchase of three, cheapness 
of, 242 ; saddles and bits of, 243 ; 
swimming across a river, 378 ; chase 
of rhinoceros by, 359 et seq. ; brave 
advance of one, towards a lion, 422 ; 


advance of a mare in face of an 
elephant, 436; lamed by reckless 
riding of aggageers, 402 ; curious 
instinct of, 482 ; epidemic among, 
517; death of Sir S. Baker’s two 
hunters, 521. 

Howarti, harpooner of hippopotami, 
renown of, 295 ; exploit of, 338, 

Hunting knives, 540. 

Hunting party, meeting with a curious, 
547. 

Hunting, a boar, 331 ; buffaloes, 310, 
311 ; elephants, 254 et seq., 288 
et seq., 304, 322 et seq., 434 et seq., 
478 et seq. ; lions, difficulty of, 238, 
410 et seq., 419 et seq. ; hippopotami, 
39 et seq., 251 et seq. ; rhinoceros, 
357 et seq., 387, 405 et seq., 486 et 
seq. (see Stalking. ) 

Hyaenas, Cassala rich in, 70 ; usefulness 
of, in clearing away carrion, ib. ; bold 
nocturnal visit of one, 473. 

Hydrophobia, Arab precaution against, 
165. 

Hygeen, dromedary or riding camel, 
exhibition of, for use of Lady Baker, 
100 ; pleasure of riding, when well 
trained, 133 ; beauty of those pro¬ 
vided by Sheik Atalan Wat Said, 141, 
142. 


I. 

Indian ink, sticks of, convenient for 
traveller, 541. 

Indian-rubber, vulcanized, useless in 
tropical climates, 541. 

Ink, made by Sir S. Baker, from garra 
plant, 528. 

Irrigation, means by which it might be 
improved in Egypt, 564 et seq. ; in¬ 
calculable benefit of, if properly 
carried out, 568 et seq. ; great source 
of civilization, 672. 

Island, covered with nabbuk bushes, 
on the Settite river, encampment on, 
313, 315 ; camp removed from, 371. 

Ismael Pasha, son of the Viceroy 
Mehemet Ali Pasha, extortionate 
demand of, from Sheik Mek 
Nimmur, 139 ; how met, ib. ; death 
of, by burning, as revenge, 139 et seq. 

Itch, epidemic of, at Sofi, Sir S. Baker’s 
successful treatment of, 156. 


J. 

Jaleen Arabs, flight of, from Egyptian 
territory, and alliance with Mek 
Nimmur, 451. 

Jali, Hamran Arab sword-hunter, ac- 


INDEX. 


589 


companies Sir S. Baker’s expedition 
into the Base, 297 ; wonderful horse¬ 
manship of, 297, 298 ; elephant 
killed by, with a sword, 327 ; leg of, 
broken by an elephant, 344 et seq. ; 
gratitude of, to Sir S. Baker, for 
his attention while ill, 347 ; returns 
to Geera, ib. 

Jersliooa, intoxicating drink made 
from, 513. 

“Jenna el Wirde” (child of the fever) 
frequency of, as a disease among 
people of Soft, 157. 

Johann Schmidt, old companion of 
Florian, arrival of, 369 ; object of, 
in joining the hunting party, ib. ; 
engagement of, by Sir S. Baker, for 
White Kile expedition, 369 : grave 
of, on the banks of the White Kile, 
370. 

Johnstone, Professor, analysis of dhurra 
corn by, 79. 

Jungles, swarming with guinea-fowl 
at Soojalup, 63 ; cooking in, 217 ; 
thick at Tooleet, 295 ; should be 
avoided for night bivouac, 302 ; 
enormous height of grass in, 310; 
hunting in (see Hunting). 

Jusef, Abyssinian merchant, meeting 
with, at Gallabat, 503. 


K. 

Katariff, arrival at, to procure men 
and a slave, 270; hospitable reception 
at, by Michel Georgis, ib. ; bazaar at, 
271 ; scenes at the market of, 272. 

Khartoum, exhausting march to, 553 ; 
different appearance of, on a nearer 
view, 555 ; meeting with Herr Yon 
Heuglin at, 543 ; stay at, preparing 
for the White Kile expedition, 
558 ; unhealthiness of, 561; sail 
from, in search of the White Kile 
source, 573. 

Kisra, bread made in Arabia, grinding 
of corn for, 78 ; preparation of, 79. 

Kittar bush, nickname of, 103 ; conse¬ 
quences of a charge through, 104, 
290 ; impervious as a fence round 
encampment, 374 ; disastrous rush 
through, in flight from a rhinoceros, 
387, 388. 

Kook, small village on the banks of the 
Rah ad, arrival at, 527. 

Koran, supposed power of, in cases of 
illness, 158 ; use made of, by Fakeers, 
ib. ; pork forbidden by, as food, 166. 

Kordofan, finest gum arabic found in, 
73 ; inhabitants of, prized as slaves, 
273 ; scarcity of water in, 356. 

Korosko, arrival at, 3 ; halting-place 


for all vessels with merchandise for 
the Soudan, ib. ; description of, 4 ; 
departure from, 5. 

Kunana Arabs, camp of, on the Dinder 
river, 527. 

L. 

Ladies, visit of, to Lady Baker at 
Berber, 22 ; dresses of, ib. ; conver¬ 
sation of, ib. ; influence of, over their 
husbands, ib. 

Landmarks, natural, 59, 483, 522. 

Language, ignorance of Arabic, makes 
a small party desirable, 5 ; deter¬ 
mination of Sir S. Baker to learn, 
21 ; Tigre, Bibles printed in, 506. 

Lead, Mek Kimmur’s preference of, to 
gold, 461. 

Leather, bottles of, for water, directions 
about, 13 ; manner of tanning, 180 
et seq. 

Leopard, snake killed by a, 225 ; carries 
off a goat and a dog at Ombrega, 
302 ; unpleasantness of, at the 
English Consulate at Khartoum, 557. 

Lice, 122, 123. 

Lime, procured from oyster shells, for 
making soap, 424. 

Limestone, first seen at Geera, 245; 
beautiful colours of the cliffs on the 
Settite river, ib. ; fine grey found near 
Katariff, 273 ; beautiful colours of, 
found on the way from Ombrega to 
Mek Kimmur’s district, 450. 

Lion, visit of a, to Sir S. Baker’s tent, 
237 ; danger of, to horses in a jungle, 
314 ; sudden appearance of a lioness 
close to the camp, 373 ; roaring of, 
over a dead buffalo, 316 ; Florian 
killed by a, 370 ; feeding on carcase 
of buffalo, 414; tracking of, near 
Delladilla, 413 et seq. ; escape of, 
through indecision of Tokroori gun- 
bearers, 415 ; lioness killed, 416 ; 
difficulty of bagging, 417 ; continued 
hunting of, 419 et seq. ; fury of, on 
being attacked, 420 ; grand appear¬ 
ance of, in the jungle, 421 ; fear of 
men, 417; one carried to Lady Baker 
in the camp, 423 ; fat of, used for 
lamps, 424; parts of, valued as 
amulets, 423. 

Lucifer matches, danger of, in dry, 
tropical weather, 541. 

M. 

Maariff (Hippotragus Bakerii) largest 
of all the antelopes of Abyssinia and 
Central Africa, description of, 475; 
agreed to be a new species by Herr 


590 


INDEX. 


Yon Heuglin, 543 ; most difficult of 
all animals to stalk, 476 

Maliomet, the dragoman, peculiar cha¬ 
racter of, 26; influence of hardships on 
his temper, 27; feigns deafness, 28 ; 
his paroxysms of rage, 28, 29 ; family 
pride of, 83, 84 ; his wife, ib. ; bitten 
by a scorpion, 104; fear of crossing 
the river, 206 ; fury at his relative's 
flight, 208 ; dangerous illness of, 
209 ; interprets for Sir S. Baker, 
275 ; his terror of the lions, 316 ; 
his terror of the Base, 317, 390 ; 
reassuring avowal to Lady Baker of 
his military tactics, 390 ; deserts the 
party, 426 ; impertinence of, ib. 

Mai Gubba, head-quarters of Mek 
Nimmur, 141 ; destruction of, by 
Egyptian troops, 444. 

Malem Georgis, Greek merchant at 
Cassala, hospitality of, 71 ; ferry¬ 
boat across Atbara river, belonging 
to, 92 ; cotton farm of, at Goorashee, 
93. 

Manchester, goods from, sold at Kata- 
riff bazaar, 271. 

Marabou stork, plucking of, 257 ; feed 
with vultures, 492 ; peculiarities of, 
494 ; very numerous beside the Kile 
tributaries, 496. 

March, proper arrangement of, 133 et 
seq. ; pleasures of, 134 ; exhausting, 
from Boumele to Bahad river, 522 ; 
food suitable for, 536 et seq. 

Mareotis, Lake, made use of by ancient 
Egyptians as a reservoir, 565. 

Maria Theresa, favourite coin among 
Arabs, 175 ; regret of Sir S. Baker in 
parting with one, 455. 

Market, of Katariff, 270 et seq. ; of 
Gallabat, 501. 

Masara (Sarah) a slave hired at Sofi, 
214 ; good character of, 215 ; affec¬ 
tion for her daughter, ib. 

Ma Serdi stream, 465. 

Mat, elephant’s ear used as, 532. 

Matrimony among Arabs, how con¬ 
ducted, 124 et seq. 

Meat, dried, usefulness of, 536 ; pre¬ 
serving, 541. 

Meliemet Ali Pasha, conquest by, of 
Hadendowa Arab tribe, 62 ; erection 
by, of barrage between Cairo and 
Alexandria, 565. 

Mek Nimmur, chief of Shendy, meaning 
of name, 139, 140 ; Ismael Pasha’s 
extortionate demand from, 139 ; 
revenge of, 140 ; territory given to, 
by king of Abyssinia, ib. 

Mek Nimmur, son of Mek Nimmur, 
chief of Shendy, continual raids made 
by, against the Egyptian frontier, 
138, 141 ; desire of Sir S. Baker to 


obtain an introduction to, 248 ; sud¬ 
den invasion by, 278 ; several tribes 
friendly to, 279 ; warlike tactics of, 
ib. ; situation of his territory, 281 ; 
invitation sent by, to Sir S. Baker, 
ib. ; friendship of, with Theodore, 
king of Abyssinia, 280, 444 ; villages 
belonging to, destroyed by Egyp¬ 
tians, ib. ; retreats to the mountains, 
ib. ; meeting with a party of his men 
on a foray, 446 ; encampment on the 
district of, 450, 451 ; lawlessness of 
the society there, how caused, 451 ; 
civilities of, to Sir S. Baker, 452, 
459; conversation with, and request 
of, to Sir S. Baker, 459 ; desire of, 
to be at peace with Egyptian govern¬ 
ment, ib. ; cautions Sir S. Baker 
against drinking the water in the 
district, 460; present sent to, failure 
of, 461 ; polite behaviour of, on the 
occasion, 462; departure from the 
territory of, 464; proposals of, re¬ 
jected by Moosa Pasha, 559. 

Melons, withered, found in Nubian 
desert, bitter taste of, 8 ; medicinal 
use of, by Arabs, ib. ; bed of, de¬ 
stroyed by hippopotamus, 38. 

Menagerie, at the English consulate at 
Khartoum, 557 et seq. 

Metemma (see Gallabat ), signification 
of term, 508. 

Michel Georgis, Greek merchant, 
nephew of Malem Georgis, hospitable 
reception by, at Katariff, 270. 

Migration of birds, 233; of people, 
110; a village deserted in conse¬ 
quence of, 526. 

Milk, abundance of camels’, 108 ; Arab 
way of preparing and using, excellent 
effect of, on delicate patients, 108; 
carried by women, in baskets, 182. 

Mimosas, appearance of, 102 ; magical 
growth of the buds of, how accounted 
for, 55 ; hooked thorns of, 102; 
kittar bush, the worst species of, 
103; use of fibre and bark, 178; 
fruit of, 179. 

Mini, old Arab camel-driver, robbery 
of dollars by, 514; how discovered, 
514 et seq. 

Mina, species of bird, black, colonies 
of, 224. 

Minerals, gold in the sand of Atbara, 
98; gold mines at Fazogle, ib. ; 
large quantities of valuable, to be 
found through Abyssinian mountains,- 
451 ; lead found in the ravines, 461. 

Minstrels, visits from, while encamping 
in Mek Nimmur’s territory, 453, 
456.; subject of their song, 454 ; 
payment expected by, 455. - 

Mirage, Egyptian troops destroyed by. 


IXVEX. 


591 


following a, in tlie Nubian desert, 
13. 

Missionaries, two German, met at Gal- 
labat, 504; opinion regarding tlie 
inexpediency of present work of, in 
Abyssinia, ib. ct seq. ; illness of one, 
506. 

Mooralid, sufferings of men and camels 
on the route to, 9, 10 ; bitterness of 
water at, 5; description of tlie 
mournful appearance of, 9 ; “camel’s 
grave” at, ib. ; crows attracted to, 
10; heat of, ib. ct seq. ; dreadful 
route from, to Abou Hammed, 12, 
13. 

Moosa, an old fortune-teller, his power 
of frightening the Tokrooris, 348. 

Moosa Pasha, Governor-General of the 
Soudan, rejection of Mek Nimmur’s 
overtures by, 559 ; declares his in¬ 
tention of giving Abyssinians a les¬ 
son, ib. ; acknowledges England’s 
power as a protector, 560 ; starts to 
drive the Abyssinians from Gallabat, 
ib. 

Mosquitos and other insects, miserable 
night caused by, 217. 

Music, character of Arab, 203 ; love 
of, ib. ; at Mek Nimmur’s encamp¬ 
ment, 453 et seq. 

Musk, obtained from crocodiles, 96 ; 
in favour with Arab women, 119. 

Mystery of the Nile, a clue obtained 
to, 53; dispelled, 564. 


N. 

Nabbuk Bushes (Rhamnus lotus), 
arbour of, 230 ; jungles of, how 
produced in the Settite valley, 313 ; 
an island covered with, 313 ; fruit 
of, useful preserved, 368. 

Nahoot Guddabi, mountain, unmis¬ 
takable landmark, 483. 

Nails, rusty, used in making ink, 
528. 

Names, common, in Arabia, 26. 

Natron, water impregnated with, 
449. 

Nellut [A. Strepsiceros), a kind of 
antelope, killing of, 377, 467 ; horns 
of, finest seen, 467. 

Night, in the desert, charms of, 9, 36 ; 
thunderstorm during, 105 ; alarm by 
sudden rising of the Atbara during, 
51 et seq. ; a miserable, 217 ; tem¬ 
perature of, 185, 561. 

Nile, hills on the banks of, 1 ; vestiges 
of ancient forts on either side, 2 ' r 
appearance of, at Korosko, 4 ; com¬ 
mencement of search for sources of, 


4 ; departure from, 6 ; return to, 15 ; 
slow rising of, 21 ; course of, through 
the desert, marked by fringes of 
bushes, 29 ; clue obtained to the 
mystery of, 53, 564 ; tributaries of, 
280 ; connexion between varieties of 
fish and reptiles in, 375 ; sudden rise 
of, caused by mountain drainage, 
400 ; effect on, of other river tor¬ 
rents, 468, 475 ; no attempt made to 
secure a supply of water from, for all 
seasons, 564 ; method in which the 
land might be irrigated by, 565 ct 
seq. ; possible future blessing of, to 
the country, 568. 

Nomadic habits of Arabs, 128 ; food 
suited for, 537. 

Nubia, Arab tribes of, 115. 

N ubian desert, route across, from Ko¬ 
rosko, 5 ; solitude of, 6 ; volcanic 
hills in, ib. ; route through, to 
Mooralid, ib. et seq. ; wave-like ap¬ 
pearance of, 7 ; charm of the night 
in, 9 ; Egyptian troops lost in, by 
following a mirage, 12, 13 ; farthest 
limit of, reached and passed, 61 ; 
frontier of, marked by the landmark 
of Gozerajup, ib. ; dreariness of, 60 ; 
present daily life in, a mirror of the 
past, 131. 


O. 

Old Testament, similarity of descrip¬ 
tions in, to present life among the 
Arabs, 126, 129 ; great interest of, 
studying while searching in the East, 
130 et seq. 

Olivine, crystals of, found in basalt, 
401. 

Ombrega, name, “mother ofthetliorn,” 
301 ; beautiful situation of, ib. ; 
bivouac at, ib. ; camp robbed during 
the night by a leopard, 302 ; second 
arrival at, and bivouac under tama¬ 
rind trees, 444 ; meeting with party 
of Mek Nimmur’s men on a foray at, 
446 et seq. 

Onions, best substitute for meat, mode 
of cooking, 89. 

Ostriches, attempt to shoot, 404; in 
the English Consulate at Khartoum, 
556. 

Owat, Sheik of the Hamran tribe, 
281. 

Oysters, numerous in beds of Atbara 
and Settite rivers, 233 ; lime made 
from shells of, 424. 

Oxen, prices of, 526. 

Ox-hides, purchase of, for coverlets for 
bivouac, 517. 


592 


INDEX. 


P. 

Falms, on the banks of the Nile, 550. 

Paper, effect on, of simoom, 17 ; 
shonld be tinted, for use in tropical 
climates, 541. 

Partridges (see Francolin Par¬ 
tridges). 

Patriarch, a desert (see Sheik Achmet 
Abou Sinn). 

Perfumery, Arab women’s love of, 117; 
peculiar mode of using, 118. 

Petherick, Mr., English Consul at 
Khartoum, absence of, in search of 
Speke and Grant, 556. 

Philse ruins, peculiar situation of, 1; 
misery of the land in the vicinity of, 
2 . 

Pigeons, shooting at Gozerajup, 57. 

Pigs, two rhinoceros disturbed by, 486 ; 
forbidden to be eaten by the Khoran, 
166. 

Pilgrimages of Tokrooris to Mecca, 
the cause of their settlement at 
Gallabat, 509. 

Pipe, “chibbook,” of the Turks, want 
of, as a camp luxury, 153. 

Pistols, bursting of a pair, sent as a 
present to Mek Nimmur, 461. 

Plague, causes of, 161 ; frequent ap¬ 
pearance of, among pilgrims, ib. 

Poisonous, plant (Asclepias gigantea ), 
30 ; quality of water, 460. 

Polygamy, Wat el Negur’s discussion 
on, 263 et seq. 

Pomade, Arab, 117. 

Pools, of Atbara river, largest at Col- 
lodobad, 36 ; asylums for all animals 
in time of drought, 34 ; danger of 
drinking the water left in, 269. 

Prayers, evening, of the Arab, 67. 

Priesthood, fears of being influenced 
against all Europeans, by their dis¬ 
like to the missionaries, 504. 

Pyramids, designs for, taken from hills 
in the desert, 14. 

Python (see Boa Constrictor.) 


Q. 

Quicksilver, use of, in making bul¬ 
lets, 284; large supply of, necessary 
to African traveller, 541. 

Quinine, cure of fever by, 70. 


R. 

Rahad River, exhausting march to, 
eagerness of the men for drink on 
reaching, 522 ; fishing in, ib. ; infe¬ 


riority of, as a Nile tributary, 523 ; 
monotony of the banks of, 524 ; 
pientifulness of corn near, ib. ; 
country round, a mine of wealth, if 
planted with cotton, 525 ; exhausting 
march along the banks of, 526 ; flies 
torture the camels, 527. 

Rabat, Arab kilt, worn by women, 
124. 

Rains, commencement of, 21 ; sources 
of the Nile, 53 ; first experience of, 
with thunderstorm, 60; disadvan¬ 
tages of, to the traveller, ib. ; deluge 
of, 105 ; migration of people and 
camels caused by, 107 etseq. ; daily 
storms of, 135, 153 ; tremendous 
deluge of, 147 ; effect of, on the 
soil, 153, 180 ; time of ceasing, 185 ; 
last of the season, 209; absolute de - 
pendence may be placed on the peri¬ 
odical return of, 549. 

Rapids, on Settite river, accident to 
two Arab girls on, 258 : extraordi¬ 
nary escape of one, 259. 

Ras el Feel, “elephant’s head,” 
mountain, 499. 

Regly plant, salad of, 175. 

Reilly rifle, great power of, 293. 

Relics, Arab fondness for, 159 ; danger 
of, 160 etseq. 

Religion, strong feeling for, among 
Arabs, 129; unchanged belief re¬ 
garding, of Arabs, 131 ; discussions 
on, with Fakeers, 267. 

Reservoirs for the Nile water, advan¬ 
tages of being formed throughout 
Egypt, 565. 

Reveet, food obtained from elephants, 
usefulness of, during a long march, 
536. 

Revenues of Upper Egypt, how might 
be increased, 512. 

Rhinoceros, descriptions of the varie¬ 
ties of, 364 et seq. ; teeth of, peculiar, 
365; horns of, protection to the 
animal, 364 ; exciting chase after, 
359 et seq. ; seven huntsmen fairly 
beaten by, 362 ; enjoyment of the 
run, 363, et seq. ; manner of trap¬ 
ping, 366 et seq. ; dangerous prox¬ 
imity to, and flight from two, 387 
et seq. ; tracking and encounter with, 
405 et seq. ; detaching the hide, 407 ; 
shooting, 442, 486, et seq. 

Richarn, Florian’s black servant, 194 ; 
wounded by a boar, 331. 

“ Rifle and Hound in Ceylon,” descrip¬ 
tion of habits of elephants given in, 
530. 

Rifles, carried by Sir S. Baker, 151; 
cleaning of, 447; providential escape 
of Sir S. Baker from an accident, by 
blowing up of one, 448. 


INDEX. 593 


Rivers of Abyssinia explored by Sir S. 
Baker, 280 ; character of all, 549. 

Robbery by Achmet, the dragoman’s 
“relative,” 207 ; by Mini, the camel 
driver, of Wat Gamma’s dollars, 514 ; 
Sir S. Baker’s plan of discovering, 
515. 

Rocks, varieties and appearance of, 
376 ; of basalt, 400 ; one still re¬ 
maining placed as a seat by Sir S. 
Baker, 150. 

Roofal tribe, civility of, 525. 

Roumele, last village between Gallabat 
and river Rahad, arrival at, 520 ; 
scarcity of water at, ib. : death of 
Gazelle and Aggahr near, 521. 

Route from Korosko to Abou Ham¬ 
med closed by order of Said Pasha, 
15 ; reopened on application by 
foreign consuls, ib .; time occupied 
in, ib . ; sufferings of, 14. 

Roy ail river, tributary of the Nile, 
arrival at, 428 ; description of, 429, 
432 ; encampment near, ib. ; de¬ 
scription of effect of rain on country 
near, 432 ; its junction with the 
Settite, frightful scene at, in rainy 
weather, 440 ; rapid course of, ib. ; 
effect of, on the Nile, 468. 

Rufaar, head-quarters of Sheik Abou 
Sinn, 551 ; kind reception at, ib. 


S. 

Sacrifices of Arabs, peculiarity of, 
202 ; relics of the ancient rite, 137. 

Saddles of Arabs, 242, 243. 

Sageer, water-wheel of the Nile, 549 ; 
tax on, 562; insufficiency of, for the 
work required, 563. 

Sahara, why a desert, 572. 

Said Pasha, ordered route between 
Korosko and Abou Hammed to be 
closed, 15. 

Salaam river, tributary of the Nile, 
280 ; assistance given by Mek Nim- 
mur in exploring, 459 ; arrival at, 

465 ; similarity of, to the Settite, 

466 ; encampment on the bank of, 
ib. ; destructive effect of water 
seen on the rocky banks of, 468 ; 
effect of, on the Nile, ib. 

“Salaam aleikum,” Arab salutation, 

110 . 

Sand-banks, only means of cultivation 
at Assouan, 2. 

Sand columns, causes and curious 
effects of, 23; Arab superstitions 
connected with, ib. ; exaggerated 
dread entertained of, by Brace, 24. 

Sand-grouse, cry of in the desert, 30 ; 
worthlessness of, as game, ib. 


Scarifying the cheeks, custom of, 
among Arabs, 273. 

Scorpions, bite of, 104 ; discovery oi 
a nest of, under the camp, brought 
out by rain, 106. 

Seasons, alternations of, 146, 147, 561 ; 
proper for travelling, 135, 559. 

Secretary bird, Arab name for, 60. 

Senna, where grown, 73; camel’s 
“bonnebouche,” ib. 

Serootfly, ferocity of, 184 ; torture of, 
196 ; giraffes attacked by, 189 ; dis¬ 
appearance of, 210 

Sesame grain, oil made from, 50. 

Settite river, tributary of the Nile, 
280; course through Base country, 
80 ; junction with the Atbara, 136 ; 
principal stream of Abyssinia, 138 ; 
excursion of Sir S. Baker to, from 
Ehetilla, 216 et seq. ; bivouac near, 
245 ; beauty of the country near, 
334 ; beautiful appearance of, at the 
pass between the cliffs of Geera, 245; 
appearance of, where joined by the 
Hor Mehetape, 400; effect of, on the 
Nile, 468 ; creates the Delta of 
Lower Egypt, 499 ; a new Egypt 
created by deposits from, ib. 

Sheik AchmetAbou Sinn, the great Arab 
patriarch in authority over all the 
other denominations of Arabs, 75 ; 
visit of, to Sir S. Baker, 110; mag¬ 
nificent appearance of, 111; hospi¬ 
tality of, ib. ; his encampment in the 
desert, 112 et seq. ; his reception of 
Sir S. Baker, 113 ; his retinue, 112; 
advice given by, 114; enormous 
consumption of butter by, 116; his 
ten sons, 112 ; his last marriage, 116; 
departure from the encampment of, 
132 et seq. 

Sheik Achmet Wat el Negur, chief oi 
Wat el Negur, wise policy of, 247 ; 
particular request of, to Sir S. Baker, 
249 ; hospitality and character of, 
ib. ; visits of, to the camp, 261; dis¬ 
cussions with, and opinions of, about 
women, England, &c. &c. 262 et seq. ; 
duties of the four wives of, 265 ; 
surprise of, on hearing that Sir S. 
Baker had only one wife, 263 ; pro¬ 
tects Sir S. Baker’s property from 
Mek Nimmur, 278 ; taken leave of, 
285. 

Sheik Ali, grandson of Sheik Abou 
Sinn, sent as guide to Sir S. Baker, 
132. 

Sheik Atalan Wat Said, chief of the 
Dabainas tribe, 136 ; reception by, 
137 ; ivitation of, ib. ; escort of, to 
Sofi, 141; promises of assistance 
from, 143; death of, how caused, 
227. 

Q Q 


594 


INDEX. 


Sheik Ilassan bel Kader, chief of Soft, 
cured of fever, by Sir S. Baker, 164 ; 
celebrated hippopotamus hunter, 234. 

Sheik Jemma, chief of Gallabat, illness 
of, from impure water, 507 ; a 
Tokroori, ib. ; his coldness on reading 
the firman, reasons for, ib. ; requests 
goat’s milk, ib. ; promises to assist in 
procuring fresh camels and men, 
508 ; way in which he became sheik, 
by help of Theodore, king of Abys¬ 
sinia, ib. ; declared by Theodore, 
sheik over all Tokrooris, 509. 

Sheik Moosa, of the Haddendowas, im¬ 
prisonment of, 75. 

Sherrem, large village on the Raliad, 
meeting of the men with their fami¬ 
lies at, 526 ; rest at, for two days, 
ib. : 

Sherif el Ibrahim, large village, excur¬ 
sion to, 244 ; productiveness of land 
near, ib. 

Sherrifs, four famous brothers, Hamran 
hunters, accompany the hunting ex¬ 
pedition, 282, 355. 

Sherrif, Roder, one of four famous 
brother hunters, maimed condition 
of, 282 ; feats of, 359 etseq., 437. 

Sherrif, Taher, one of four famous 
brother hunters, feats of, 359, 362, 
433, et seq. 

Shields, Arab, made of giraffe and 
rhinoceros skins, 168. 

Shoes, necessity for strong, on account 
of the thorny grass, 182 ; pair of 
Highland shooting, of great value, 
242. 

Sliookeriyahs, one of the most powerful 
tribes of Upper Egypt, from which 
Sheik Abou Sinn descended, 115. 

Signor Georgis, Greek army doctor, at 
Cassala, his kindness to S.ir S. 
Baker, 70. 

Silk, vegetable, procured from Asclepias 
gigantea plant, 30. 

Simoom in Nubian desert, 7 ; damage 
done by, 17, 54. 

Slaves, obtained by plunder of the Base 
country, 81 ; Masara or Sarah, one 
hired at Sofi, 214 ; purchase of 
Barrake, 274 ; considered necessary 
by Arab women, 125 ; inhabitants of 
Kordofan prized as, 273 ; proprietor’s 
care of, 274 ; beauty of those brought 
from Galla, 516. 

So.ipmaking, 424 ; lime necessary for, 
how obtained, 424 ; fruit of hegleek 
tree used by Arabs as, 368. 

Sofi, arrival at, 142; description of, 
144 ; residence at, during rainy 
season, 152 et seq. ; permanent camp 
bought at, 148 ; description of an 
“eligible freehold” within a minute’s 


walk of, 149 ; German settler met 
at, 142 ; extracts from journal, de¬ 
scriptive of life at, 175 et seq. ; laws 
of, 181 ; resolve to leave, 204. 

Soojalup, first watering place on the 
route to Cassala, arrival at, 62; 
description of country round, ib. ; 
contrivance for watering cattle at, 
63; Ariel ( Gazelle David) first seen 
at, 63 ; jungles round, swarming 
with guinea fowl, ib. ; departure 
from, 64. 

Soorit (see Acacia Arabica), 529. 

Souakim, route to Cassala by way of, 
72 ; present uncertainty of steamers 
arriving at, ib. ; merchants afraid of 
delay and high warehouse charges 
at, 73 ; value of direct steam com¬ 
munication between, and Suez, 273. 

Soudan, exports of, 73, 74, 562 ;. prin¬ 
cipal towns of, 74 ; annexation of, to 
Egypt, necessary, 75 ; fertility of, 
77 ; cheapness of grain in, ib. ; go¬ 
vernor-general of, orders Mek Nim- 
nmr’s territory to be invaded, 444 ; 
Egyptian troops in, 560 ; aspect of 
wretchedness, 562. 

Spar, immense quantities of beautiful, 
on the hills, on the route from Om- 
brega, 450. 

Spinach, wild, 175. 

Stalking, wild asses, 55 ; Ariel ( G. 
Dama), 86 ; antelopes, 64 ; nellut 
(A. Strepsiceros), 377 ; tetel (A. 
Bubalis), 218, 308 ; giraffes, 188, 194 
(see Hunting). 

Storks, curious hunting party met, of 
common black and white, 547. 

Sulieman, one of the aggageers (sword- 
liunters) of the party, 296. 

Sunstroke, slight attack of, Bacheet, on 
the march from Rataanto Khartoum, 
553. 

Swords, principal weapon used by agga¬ 
geers, 167 ; value of, to Arabs, 1.69 ; 
description of, 170; manner of hunt¬ 
ing with, 171 ; danger of, to the 
hunter himself, 174 ; elephant killed 
by one, when shot failed, 327. 

Sycamore ( Ficus sycamorus), tempting 
shade of, 502. 

Syphilis, common throughout the 
country, 166. 

Syringe, necessity of, to the traveller, 
541. 

T. 

Taccazzy, Abyssinian name for Settite 
river, 138. 

Taher Noor, gaine-tracker accompany¬ 
ing the hunting expedition, 288, 296. 

Taka country, situation of, 59 ; pic- 


INDEX. 


595 


turesqueness of, 72 ; productions of, 

/ 3. 

Tamarind trees, baboons occupying, 
177; bivouac under, at Ombrega, 444. 

Tarpaulin, necessity of, to travellers, 
541. 

Tarboosh (cap) presented to one of Mek 
Nrmmur’s men, 447. 

Tatham, all fire-arms with the name, 
burst, 461. 

Taxes, equal on rich and poor districts, 

3 ; bad effect of, in preventing culti¬ 
vation of land, 76 ; injustice of tax- 
collectors, ib. ; paid by Tokrooris to 
the King of Abyssinia, 507, 509: 
onerous, on the water-wheel of the 
Nile, 562. 

Temperature, of the different spots 
visited, 561 ; in the desert, 5, 6, 17. ' 

Temples, ruins of, on the banks of the 
Nile, 3. 

Tetoh, intoxicating drink of the Arabs, 
513. 

Tetel, species of antelope, hide of, 
valuable as leather, 181; shooting, 
192, 198 ; men and cargo floated 
across the river by means of the 
waterproof skin of a, 200 ; bull killed 
by Abou Do, the aggageer, 308. 

Tetel, name of trained hunter pur¬ 
chased by Sir S. Baker, 242 ; brave 
advance of, in face of a lion, 422. 

Theodore, King of Abyssinia, advan¬ 
tages to, of Mek Nimmur’s frontier 
warfare, 279; friendship of, with 
Mek Nimmur, 280, 444 ; dislike of, 
to missionaries, 504 ; grants permis¬ 
sion to the Tokrooris to settle in his 
country, 509 ; places Sheik Jemma 
in power, in opposition to Egyptian 
government, 508 et seq. ; quarrels 
with Moosa Pasha, and is threatened 
by him, 559 et seq. 

Thorns, caused by grass drying, suffer¬ 
ing from, 236 ; kittar bush, 103; 
name “mother of the thorn,” 301. 

Thunder, first time heard in Africa, 60, 
effects of a storm of, 92 ; halt caused 
by, 104 etseq. 

Tick, insect inhabiting sand and dust, 
supposed connexion of, with the 
Egyptian plague of lice, 122. 

Till, rivulet, tributary of Atbara, ex¬ 
haustion of, by the fall of the Atbara, 
and retirement of fish from, 211 ; 
source of, 245. 

Tobacco, sowing of, 236 ; plantations 
of, 376 ; production of, on the banks 
of the Kahad, 524. 

Toganai, camp for a night at, 499 ; 
evening scene, last view of Atbara 
river from, ib. ; start from, 501. 

Tokrooris, tribe of Mahometan negroes, 


six servants engaged, to accompany 
Sir S. Baker’s hunting expedition, 
274 ; start with him, 296 ; seized 
with panic, desire to desert,348 etseq. ; 
checkmated by Sir S. Baker, 352 ; 
country inhabited exclusively by, 
497 ; wonder of some, on hearing of 
the exploits in the Base country, 
498; natives of Darfur, 509 ; appear¬ 
ance of, 509, 511 ; taxes paid by, 
507 ; industry of, 510 ; weapons of, 
511 ; bad as servants, 510; how 
settled at Gallabat, 509 ; cotton pro¬ 
duced by, 511 ; women of the tribe, 
ib. ; much might be done for im¬ 
provement of, 512; permission granted 
to, by Theodore, to settle in his ter¬ 
ritory, 509 ; farewell entertainment 
given to, 513; Sir S. Baker parts 
with the servants, 517 ; unprovoked 
insolence of natives of a Tokroori 
village, 518 et seq. ; a fight with, ib. 

Toinat, head-quarters of Atalan Wat 
Said, interesting appearance of, 136. 

Tool-box, contents of, necessary to a 
traveller, 247. 

Tracking of elephants, 288 et seq., 
304, 320 et seq. ; of rhinoceros, 405 ; 
of lions, 414 ; of elephants, 433. 

Travelling, hints for comfort in, 539 
et seq. ; articles useful for, in tropical 
climates, 541. 

Turtle, struggle with a, while fishing 
in Atbara pool, 45 ; appearance of, 
in water, 46 ; guitar made of shell, 
203 ; omelette made of eggs of, 374 : 
soup of, ib. 

Turkish soldiers procured as escorts 
at Berber, 25. 

Tusks, absence of, in Ceylon elephants, 
530 ; difficult to obtain an exact pair 
of, 533. 

U. 

Umbrellas (carriage), description of, 
necessary for travelling, 540. 

V. 

“ Valley of dry bones” at Moorahd, 10. 

Vegetables, wild, great abundance of, 
226. 

Vogel, Dr. search for, by Herr Von 
Heuglin, 543. 

Volcanic bombs, resembling cannon shot, 
in the Nubian desert, 6, 7. 

Volcanic hills in Nubian desert, 6. 

Vultures, sudden descent of, 88 ; ques¬ 
tion, whether attracted by vision or 
smell, 492 ; different species of, 493 ; 
interesting experiments in watching, 
493 et seq. 


59(5 


INDEX. 


W. 

Wages not high, 83. 

Waker, wild vegetable, in great use 
among Arabs, soup of, 226 ; well 
known in India and Ceylon, under 
different names, ib. 

Wat el Negur, village, 243 ; reasons 
why desirable for encampment, 
248 ; wisdom of the Sheik of, 247; 
capabilities of the country round, for 
cultivation, 249; elephant-hunting 
at, 254 et seq. ; pleasant life at, 266 
et seq.; discussions with the Sheik 
of, 262 etseq. ; preparations made at, 
for the hunting expedition, 284 ; 
start from, to explore the Base 
country, 285. 

Water, evaporation of, from skins, by 
blast of simoom, 5 ; scarcity of, at 
Moorahd, 11; after washing, drunk by 
Arabs, ib. ; constant supply of, how 
to ensure, 36 ; length of time camels 
can endure without, 448 ; poison¬ 
ous nature of, from copper, in Mek 
Nimmur’s district, 460 ; destructive 
effect of, on solid rocks, 468 ; impurity 
of, at Gallabat, 502 ; great sickness, 
in consequence of impure, 507. 

Waterfall over perpendicular basalt 
columns, appearance of, 497. 

Water-jar, of Arabs, similarity of, to 
to those in use a thousand years 
ago, 129. 

Waterproof sheeting, of use in tra¬ 
velling, 541. 

Wat Gamma, young Arab attendant, 
procured at Cassala, origin of his 
name, 82 ; consternation of, at the 
failure of the present to MekNimmur, 
461 ; robbed of his dollars, 513. 

Wat Medene, large town, and principal 
trading place, on the banks of the 
Blue Nile, 548. 


Weapons, most useful to the hunter 
151, 539, 540 ; of Hamran Arab 
sw r ord-hunters, 168 et seq. 

Weaving, Arab method of, 65. 

Weirs, across Bahad and Binder rivers, 
for irrigation, necessity of, 549 ; 
across the Nile, advantages of form¬ 
ing, 565. 

Welcome, Arab, customs connected 
with, 137, 227 ; magnificence of 
that given bv Sheik Abou Sinn to 
SirS. Baker/113. 

Wells of Arabs, 131 ; insufficient for 
the cattle, 270. 

Whirlwinds in the desert, sand columns 
raised by, 23; nearly suffocated by 
one, 51. 

White ants, use made of a hill of, 
424. 

White Nile, resolution to explore, 574 ; 
preparations for exploring completed, 
ib. ; start towards the source of, ib. 

Wild asses, first sight of, 55 ; habits 
and beaqty of, 56 ; difficulty of cap¬ 
turing, ib. ; first and last killed by 
Sir S. Baker, ib. ; rissoles of the 
flesh, 57. 

Willow, species of, on the banks of 
Atbara river, 239. 

Wire useful to the traveller for springs, 
541. 

Wives, Wat el Negur’s discussion and 
opinions on, 262 et seq. 

Women, Arab, corn ground by, 78 ; 
dislike of all, to the work, 79 ; their 
love for perfumery, 118; unclean¬ 
ness of, 122 et seq. ; dress and 
appearance of, 124, 265 ; marriage 
of, 125 ; adherence of, to ancient 
customs, 127 ; bathing of, 265 ; Wat 
el Negur’s discussion on, 262 et seq .; 
superstitions of 273 ; ignorance of, 
265 ; plainness and industry of 
Tokroori, 511. 


THE END. 


R. CLAY, SOX, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS, LONDON. 





























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